I love mochai that is also called as hyacinth beans, especially the fresh ones. Though I mostly make sambar for our daily lunch to ensure that we get our daily protein intake from the dals, I just love the gravies like this made out of the legumes itself as they themselves are a rich protein source. Whenever I buy these fresh beans from the market usually I make puli kulambu but this time tried my MIL’s recipe as it has been a long time since I made this gravy.
This takes very less time to make and you can be out of the kitchen in a jiffy. All the ingredients are available in your pantry and this gravy does not require any special ingredient to cook. This gravy will taste nice only along with rice and not with rotis.
Though you can also use the dry beans after soaking it overnight to make this gravy, it tastes best only with the fresh ones. If you want to add any vegetables along with the beans, brinjals and drumstick will make a great pair than when compared to any other vegetable.
Mochai Kulambu
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- Mochai / Hyacinth Beans – 1 cup
- Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
- Urad dal – 2 tsp
- Asafetida – 2 pinch
- Curry leaves – 1 sprig
- Salt – to taste
- Oil – 1 tbsp
To be ground to a paste:
- Tamarind paste – 2 tbsp
- Coriander seeds – 1 1/2 tsp
- Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
- Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
- Green chillies – 2
- Cashew nuts – 8
- Garlic – 8 cloves
- Shallots / sambar onions – 10
- Coriander leaves, packed – 1/4 cup
Instructions:
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1. Pressure cook the mochai / hyacinth beans with a pinch of salt in enough water for 2 whistles. Drain and keep aside. Retain the water used for cooking the beans.
2. Place all the ingredients mentioned under the To be ground to a paste in a mixer. Add 2-3 tbsp of water and grind to a fine paste and keep aside.
3. Heat a pan with oil. Add mustard seeds, when they splutter, add urad dal and roast till it becomes golden brown. Add asafetida and curry leaves.
4. Now add the ground paste and cook for 2-3 minutes stirring continuously to avoid sticking to the pan.
5. Add cooked mochai / beans, salt and water used to cook the mochai, plus more water, if needed to adjust the consistency of the gravy and let it cook for 4-5 minutes over low flame.
6. Take off fire and serve hot with rice to which a dash of ghee has been added.
- Tastes better with fresh beans instead of dry ones.
- If you do not happen to have tamarind paste, just soak a gooseberry size of tamarind in some hot water to soften it and then use it to paste along with other ingredients.
- Instead of shallots, regular onions can be used.
- Omit the green chillies to bring down the heat of the gravy.
- If calorie conscious omit the cashew nuts and instead use pea nuts or roasted gram.
Yummy!
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Real yummy kolambu!
Looks inviting.
Dear Radhika,
When do we add the mochai. Along with the cooked water or later. There is no way that i can get fresh beans, but sure will try this with dried ones.
Sorry. corrected it and thanks.
Wowww… Very delicious and authentic recipe.. looks absolutely perfect.. thanks for sharing dear.. Gr8 job 🙂
Indian Cuisine
Radhika, can i buy avaraikai and take out the seeds and use it. It is the same right?? when i searched for pachai avarai those are the images i got.
No Priya, both are different. If you do this like how you say with avarakkai you would only wasting the vegetable. make with dry ones. Only remember to take out the outer skin by pressing gently between your thumb and index finger after pressure cooking it. It will taste the same then.
looks so colorful… very yummy mochai kulambu… i too love this…
VIRUNTHU UNNA VAANGA
The colour of the kuzhambu itself is inviting, never tried adding cashews in kuzhambu, sounds awesome.
nice color..
woow.. just awesome. mouthwatering
I have never cooked with fresh hyacinth beans… this is a very new recipe for me even though I have tried many kinds of kuzhambus during my stay in Chennai. Sounds interesting!
After moving to SG I miss fresh Mochai.. Lovely Kulambu
Great-secret-of-life.blogspot.com
Very yummy delicious kulambuu..:-)
Looks very creamy radhika.I love to have it with roti instead of rice. Yumm
Looks delicious…..new for me…..
good one radhika; i love mochai too though it is not a regular in my hearth
Love this protein packed kozhambu! Mochai is a huge favourite in the house 🙂
I’m a novice at Indian cuisine but all I can say is that I have loved everything I tasted so far. This dish looks amazing!
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