Cook's Guide to Asian Vegetables - Wendy Hutton

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Twisted cluster beans are usually stir-fried with emphatic seasonings, including chilies, to make savory side dishes or sambal. As the flavor is.quite strong, twisted cluster beans are normally eaten in small quantities.

      Winged Beans are also known as angled or Goa beans, and they have traditionally been cultivated in warm climates everywhere from India right across to New Guinea. Not surprisingly perhaps, the winged bean has been hailed as "the Asian miracle plant": it grows quickly, is disease-resistant and rich in protein and oils. It is now being cultivated in many parts of rural Africa. Although it is the young pod that is most commonly eaten, the shoots, leaves and flowers are also edible, and the pretty pale blue flowers are used as a natural food coloring for some rice and cake recipes.

      Appearance & Flavor Winged beans are what might almost be called a "designer vegetable" because of their attractive appearance. The pods are pale green and have a frill running down all four sides. The flavor carries a slight touch of bitterness and the beans have a pleasant, crisp texture when young. Choosing & Storing Look for small, young beans which snap rather than bend. Young beans—those not longer than 4 in (10 cm) in length and about ½ in (1¼ cm) in width—are sweeter and have a better texture than the more mature beans, recognizable by their greater size and the shape of the seeds clearly formed within. Winged beans can keep refrigerated in a container for 3 to 4 days. Preparing Before cooking, pinch the tip and pull down any strings which may have formed. Nutritional & Medicinal Properties Young winged beans contain complex carbohydrates and as much as 20% protein. They are rich in beta-carotene, low in sodium and contain calcium and phosphorus. Culinary Uses Winged beans are either eaten raw, usually with a dip, or blanched briefly in boiling water, then sliced to make salads. Combining them with naturally sweet coconut cream (as is often done in Southeast Asia) helps offset the slight bitterness. Winged beans can also be stir-fried, but should not be overcooked or they will lose their crisp texture.

      Bean Sprout and Green Bean Salad

      10 oz (300 g) green beans, cut into 1½-in (4-cm) lengths

      7 oz (200 g) mung beans sprouts, straggly tails discarded

      1 red chili, minced, or 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes

      1 small clove garlic

      ½ teaspoon dried shrimp paste, toasted

      1 cup (100 g) freshly grated or frozen coconut

      ½ teaspoon salt

      1 Blanch the beans in boiling water until just cooked but still firm. Cool under running water, then drain.

      2 Put bean sprouts in a sieve and pour over boiling water for 10 seconds. Plunge into ice water to cool, then drain thoroughly. Put beans and bean sprouts in a bowl.

      3 Using a food processor, or a pestle and mortar, grind the chili, garlic and shrimp paste. Toss with the grated coconut and salt, mixing well. Just before serving, add the coconut mixture to the vegetables, toss well and serve at room temperature.

      Korean Blanched Soy Bean Sprouts with Sesame

      7-8 oz (200-250 g) soy bean sprouts

      ½ cup (125 ml) water

      1½ tablespoons oil

      1 teaspoon sesame oil

      ½ teaspoon salt

      1 clove garlic, crushed

      1 tablespoon soy sauce

      1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, coarsely crushed while warm

      1 tablespoon finely chopped spring onions

      1 Keeping the sprouts still in a bundle (if they have been bought this way), cut off the straggly roots. Untie the sprouts and spread in a saucepan. Add the water, and the two types of oil, salt, garlic and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer for 7 minutes.

      2 Remove the pan from the heat, turn the sprouts carefully, cover the pan and let it stand for 5 minutes before transferring to a serving dish. Serve hot, or chilled, garnishing with the sesame seeds and spring onion just before serving.

      Sweet Mung Beans with Coconut

      1½ cups (300 g) dried mung beans, washed and drained

      2½ cups (625 ml) water

      Thin slice ginger

      Pinch of salt

      2 cups (500 ml) thin coconut milk

      ¼ cup (40 g) shaved palm sugar or soft brown sugar

      White sugar, to taste

      ½ cup (125 ml) coconut cream

      1 Put the mung beans in a large pan with the water, ginger and salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed and the beans are swollen. Add the coconut milk and palm sugar, stirring over low heat until the sugar has dissolved.

      2 Without covering the pan, cook the beans over low heat for about an hour, until they are very soft. Add a little water if the mixture seems too dry. Add white sugar to taste. Ladle into small bowls, and spoon some coconut cream over the porridge before serving.

      Stir-fried Sugar Peas and Pumpkin

      2 tablespoons oil

      2-3 cloves garlic, minced

      2 tablespoons fish sauce

      1 teaspoon sugar

      3 cups (500 g) butternut squash or other bright yellow pumpkin, peeled and cut into matchsticks

      7 oz (200 g) sugar or snow peas, tips and strings removed (if using large snow peas, cut them diagonally into halves)

      2 spring onions, cut in 1½-in (4-cm) lengths

      ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

      1 Heat the oil in a wok. Stir-fry the garlic for a few seconds. Add the fish sauce and sugar, stir, then add the pumpkin and stir-fry over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.

      2 Stir-fry the peas for 2 minutes, then stir-fry the spring onions for another 30 seconds. Sprinkle with pepper and transfer to a serving dish.

      Spiced Indian Kidney Beans

      1 lb (500 g) fresh kidney beans, shelled, 1 can (14 oz/400 g) red kidney beans or 8 oz (250 g) dried kidney beans

      ¼ cup (60 ml) oil

      2 cardamom pods, split and bruised, or ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder

      1 onion, minced

      2 teaspoons crushed garlic

      1 teaspoon grated ginger

      1 teaspoon minced red chili, or ½ teaspoon ground red pepper

      1 teaspoon ground coriander

      ½ teaspoon ground cumin

      ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

      3 ripe tomatoes (about 8 oz/250 g), blanched, peeled and diced

      1 large green chili, halved lengthwise, optional

      2 tablespoons minced coriander leaves (cilantro)

      ¼ teaspoon salt

      ½ cup (125 ml) water

      ¼ teaspoon garam masala

      1 Simmer fresh kidney beans in water to cover until tender, then drain. If using canned kidney beans, drain in a colander and then hold under running water to rinse the beans. Set aside to drain.

      2 Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan until moderately hot. Add the cardamom and onion and stir-fry until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and chili and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Reduce heat, then add the ground coriander, cumin and turmeric and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

      3 Add tomatoes and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Put in the green chili, 1 tablespoon of the coriander leaves, salt and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Add drained kidney beans and a pinch of the garam masala. Simmer 8 minutes, then

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