Cluster beans, known as Mattikaya in Telugu and Kothavarakkai in Tamil is popular in the north as Guar. In Malayalam, we just call it Kothavarakka, a slight variation in pronunciation from what its called in Tamil. I am a little confused about what Chitkaya/Chikkadikaya is? Is it another name for the vegetable in Telugu?
Anyway, I got a pack of it in the Indian store and immediately grabbed it, thinking I will try what my mom normally makes with it – an avial or a in a tangy gravy with ground coconut and tomatoes.
In the end, I ended up making a quick stir fry of it with elephant yam (chena). The combination turned out to be a winner and we loved it!
Clustered Beans Indian-Style with Yam
Ingredients:
Cluster beans – 2 cups, cut into 1″ pieces
Yam – 1 cup, cubed
Coconut – 4 tbsp, grated (optional)
Chopped garlic – 2 tsp
Shallots – 4
Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp
Jeera powder – 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Salt – to taste
Coconut oil – 2 tsp
How I Made It:
1. Cook the cluster beans and yam separately in water till they are tender. Cooking them together will make the yam bitter. The water used to cook the cluster beans should not be used since it will be bitter.
2. Heat oil in a pan and lightly fry the garlic and shallots. Then add the coriander, chilly and jeera powders and fry for another 30 seconds.
3. Mix in the coconut, yam and beans with some salt and leave it on sim for 4-5 minutes.Serve hot with rice and gravy.
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Beans Carrot Thoran
Mochakottai Sundal
Beans Usili
Avial
This preparation looks quite healthy and yummy! Plz check my blog…have got something for you:)
I love cluster beans but avoid yam.
But your combination of the two looks really good, Nags.
The pic is beautiful. I love kothorangai stir fry 🙂 Not eaten Yam much. Mebbe, I should try it no?
very luring pics dear….luved ur recipe…recently I make this curry too
We make kottavarankai poriyal but ur curry sounds delicous 🙂
that is one good combo! the veg looks very appetising 🙂
Like chena a lot. Use it mainly for mezhukuparati.:D
Hey nags, the pictures are divine and i feel like eatign some right now! Like sra said this is called Gorichikudukai in Telugu in most Rayalseema regions and I think in Hyderabad and some other Telangana regions of Andhra and Andhra region as well it is called Mattikaya – whats in a name right? I love this veggie 🙂
we make this at home….the recipe is a lil different tho…delicious!
I haven’t cooked with this in ages.. my mom only makes paruppu usli with this and I simply use beans as a substitute. This with yams is an unusual combination but looks very tempting.