Flat Beans With Green Peas In Mustard Curry

Flat beans are almost always cooked and eaten in their pods. They are also known as Helda beans or Romano beans. Because this recipe is a Bengali recipe I am sharing the Bengali name which is "Sheem" and because I am a Mumbaikar I am sharing the local name which is 'Papri". This recipe is a beautiful one. It is almost artful. Like an Adele song. Its uniqueness is in its rarity. Its beauty in its body. And its spunk in its nuance. I am also very happy to cook the nice and broad beans because they appear in winter, a simple seasonal pleasure slowly disappearing from us with raw mangoes appearing most of the year this year....

I take about 250 grams of broad beans, wash them well, remove the thin thread at the edges. In a warm wok in about 1 tbsp warm oil, fry the beans till the colour turns shining medium to darkish green. So it needs about 4-5 min of frying and tossing. Next shell a handful of peas, say about, 15 odd pods. Make some yellow or white mustard paste. While making the paste add a dash of salt and half a green chilly to alleviate the bitterness. Add half a cup of water to the mustard paste. 

In a warm wok, add 11/2 tbsp oil and allow it to warm. Now add 1 tsp Nigela seeds and 2 whole green chillies. In about half a minute add the mustard paste. Stir in medium heat for 2 mins. Next add the peas and cook for another min. Time for the beans. Stir. Add salt to taste and a dash of red chilly powder for spice. Lid the wok. Reduce the flame. The beans will take about 7 minutes to cook. Ensure that they retain their crunchy texture. Once in a while remove the lid and stir. If you feel there is less gravy add half a cup of warm water. This is when you are checking for cooking in the middle.

Drizzle mustard oil and sprinkle fresh chopped coriander leaves. Serve with rice 

Pepper Yogurt Chicken

This recipe is one of my oldest recipes. I learnt most of the recipe from my sister-in-law who in turn learnt it from her cousin aunt. So,definitely it is a recipe marked with experience and memories. My contribution to the recipe is the absolute un-use of any oil whatsoever. So health watchers, you might want to binge on this one. 

I take about a kg of chicken and the night before marinate it with 300 grams of yogurt, salt to taste and 11/2 tbsp pepper powder. 

On the day of making, you bring the chicken in its marinade at room temperature. Now I am sharing 2 versions. If you are cooking for a party you at first take 11/2 tbsp oil in a wok and allow it to warm. If you are cooking for your family for a regular day just warm a wok well. The rest of the recipe is common to both the processes.

Next you add 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds and 2 whole dry red chillies. Allow the seeds to sputter in the heat and the chillies to turn brown. Now add the chicken along with its entire marinade. Stir well. Cover with a lid and keep at medium low flame. Every now and then take off the lid and add a level tsp of pepper powder. Continue this till the chicken is soft and cooked and the colour takes on a silver-gold shade. There will not be much gravy but there will be a sauce for your flat bread/pao/paratha to dab into. The chicken is tangy, peppery and juicy. You will enjoy a healthy dish guilt-free. And guess what, Fenugreek seeds help in weight loss. Well, google says Fenugreek has 15 medicinal benefits! So, enjoy!