Kothavarankkai Masala:

Kothavarankkai Poriyal. Cluster Beans Curry.Gwaar Ki Phalli/ Gawar Ki Phalli Curry. Gokarkkai Masala. Kothavaranga Masal/ Kathavarankkai Masala.

Cluster beans is known as Kothavarnga in Tamil. Gokarkkai in Hyderabad/ Goruchikkudu/ Goruchikudikayalu.

This is my Mom’s recipe. She cooks this curry with lot of Cumin/Jeera powder/ Seeraga Podi. It actually has to do with some medicinal value…I guess! As this vegetable has the tendency to produce more bile secretion. So it is good to discard the water…in which we cooked this vegetable. So, just the fibre we are going to have…

Ingredients:

Young cluster beans – 1/2 kilo
Onion 1 small – finely chopped
Ginger paste 1/2 spoon
Garlic paste 1/2 spoon
Small tomatoes 2 finely chopped
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Coriander seeds powder 1 spoon
Cumin 1/2 cup- dry roasted and powdered freshly
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Oil 1 cup
Curry leaves crisply fried for garnishing-1 cup.

Method:

Remove the ribs/vein at the sides of the vegetable. Trim their ends too. Now chop them evenly to 1″ size tiny bits.

Boil this chooped vegetable with 2 cups of water. Once it is done. That is the vegetable bites should be still intact but cooked. They should not be soft rather. Okay…..now throw the water away. Drain and strain the vegetable in a colander.

In a large wok. Heat oil. Add cumin seeds to it. Let it fry well. Now add finely chopped onion and fry them til golden brown.

Followed by ginger + garlic paste. Let it fry till it looses its raw smell. Now add tomatoes to it.

Then add cooked vegetable. Further add salt, turmeric, chili and coriander seeds powder. Toss them realy well. Let all the powders get well mixed with it. Sprinkle little water if needed.

Once it blends well and it comes to curry like consistency, that is …..vegetable will be too soft now. Add your freshly powdered cumin powder now. Mix them well over low-medium heat. Let the cumin aroma beat the other flavours.

Garnish with crisply fried curry leaves.

Serve this hot with chappathis, rotis or as side dish for rice.