href="#ulink_5cd14009-5ba8-5705-a79e-f7c7011db6f8">11. They can then be simmered in water to cover, with soy sauce and a little sugar and sesame oil and then served with rice and other dishes. Pre-boiled dried broad beans can also be left to dry thoroughly before being deep-fried in very hot oil. Sprinkle with salt and, if liked, a little ground red pepper before serving as a snack.
Channa Dal is often known as Bengal gram, and is a variety of the common chickpea, reputed to make up more than half the production of pulses in India. Channa dal, like chickpeas, is used in savory stews and curries, although a large portion of the crop is dried and ground to make a widely used flour, besan, known as chickpea flour in English.
Appearance & Flavor When whole, channa dal is yellowish brown in color and somewhat wrinkled. Besan, or channa dal flour, is yellowish cream in color. Channa dal is most commonly sold split, and resembles yellowish beige lentils, with its somewhat oval shape. The flavor is nutty and pleasant. Nutritional & Medicinal Properties Channa dal is, like all other pulses, nutritious. It contains fiber and carbohydrates as well as protein, minerals and vitamins. It also contains lecithin and linoleic acid and is easily digested. Culinary Uses If using whole channa dal, soak and pre-cook as directed on page 11. It can be cooked in any vegetarian stew or curry, either alone or with fresh vegetables. Channa dal, should be soaked in water for about 30 minutes, then drained before being cooked in a lentil stew or simmered with vegetables. Channa dal is used as a seasoning in some regions of India, stir-fried with oil or ghee and added to various dishes such as simmered pumpkin. Besan is used to make batters, as a thickening or binding agent in many dishes and also used in some Indian sweetmeats. In Burma and parts of northern Thailand, this flour is used lightly toasted and sprinkled on some soup and noodle dishes.
Chickpeas originated in the Middle East, where they have been cultivated for several thousand years. Most of the chickpea crop is dried before use. The Arabian armies which conquered northern Africa and southern Spain were reputedly fed on this nourishing pulse. Chickpeas have spread as far as the Americas (particularly South America) across to India and, in recent times, are even grown in Australia. They are also known as garbanzos.
Appearance & Flavor Chickpeas are hard and wrinkled, beige-brown in color, and are pointed at one end. Their nutty flavor is particularly appreciated in India and in other countries with a sizeable Indian population. Nutritional & Medicinal Properties Similar to channa dal Culinary Uses Chickpeas are renowned for taking a long time to cook, so they should be soaked and pre-cooked as directed on page 11. After pre-cooking, the colorless, almost jelly-like skins covering the chickpeas will have been loosened. Skim the skins off the surface while they are still in the cooking liquid, then detach and discard the rest of the skins. This is not essential, but many cooks prefer the appearance of the finished dish without these skins. Although purees of chickpeas are popular in the Middle East, Indian cooks generally leave the chickpeas whole, usually cooking them with spices and other seasonings to make a type of stew. They are also cooked with vegetables such as tomatoes and carrots, or with leafy greens such as spinach.
Green Beans are probably the most widely eaten fresh bean in the world. Also known as haricot beans, French beans or, in the US, as string beans, they are native to Mexico and Guatemala. Green beans are now eaten throughout Asia, although in some countries they are less popular than long beans. If left to mature, the almost negligible seeds inside the young green pods will swell to form legumes. When these are dried, they turn red and are known as kidney beans (see page 17).
Appearance & Flavor There are many varieties of green bean, ranging from light to dark green in color, to pale yellow. Some fresh beans have wide, flat pods, while others may be rounded. Green beans are highly versatile, with a pleasant texture that makes them almost universally appealing. Choosing & Storing When buying the beans, look for those which snap rather than bend. Avoid those where the seeds are starting to swell, as the beans will be too mature. Keep refrigerated in a plastic bag for 3-4 days. Preparing Most varieties lack strings, although if they are present, they should be pulled away and the stem end cut off before cooking. The beans are usually sliced diagonally into 1-in (2½-cm) lengths, although some recipes may call for them to be finely chopped. Nutritional & Medicinal Properties Fresh green beans contain appreciable levels of calcium and phosphorus and are high in beta-carotene. Culinary Uses Green beans are eaten stir-fried, simmered, added to soups and used in salads. Very young beans are often eaten raw, accompanied with a dip in Thailand, or blanched before they are added to salads in Indonesia. To ensure the beans keep their texture and bright color, be sure not to overcook them; cook them briefly in boiling water, drain, then cool the beans in iced water before draining again.
Drumsticks or Horseradish Tree Pods is the common English name for the fruit of Moringa oleifera. The name derives from the fact that the pungent roots of this tree were used as a substitute for true horseradish by the British in India (the Thais, however, use the root to obtain an orange dye). The young seed pods—commonly referred to as as "drumsticks"—are a very popular vegetable in India and other parts of Asia with large Indian communities'. In Southeast Asia, the young, fern-like green leaves are also eaten, and are particularly popular in the Philippines, where they are known as malunggay. The leaves are frequently plucked from horseradish trees growing in village gardens and are added to vegetable stews and soups.
Appearance & Flavor The young seed pods are long (at least 12 in/30 cm), pale green and thin, with small bumps revealing the seeds inside. The taste is pleasantly mild, with a touch of sweetness. The leaves of the horseradish tree are tiny and delicate, growing in feathery clusters somewhat like acacia leaves. Choosing & Storing If buying fresh drumsticks or seed pods, look for those which are narrow. Avoid buying those that contain well-developed seeds. They can be kept refrigerated for 2-3 days. The leaves are generally sold still on the stems. Wrap in kitchen paper and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Preparing Wash the drumsticks, cut into pieces and simmer until soft. Only the soft interior is eaten, and the fibrous skin of the pods is discarded at the table. The leaves should be rinsed thoroughly and drained before cooking. Nutritional & Medicinal Properties Drumsticks contain rather high levels of vitamin C as well as calcium, phosphorus and riboflavin. The leaves, which are very rich in vitamins A and C, stimulate digestion and are a diuretic. They are also traditionally used as a poultice for dog bites in India. Culinary Uses Although both the seed pods and leaves are edible, the various uses of the horseradish tree proves that what people eat is often determined by culture rather than the edibility of the actual plant. For example, in India, only the seed pods or drumsticks are eaten, usually in vegetable or lentil stews. In parts of Southeast Asia, only the leaves are consumed in soups or vegetable stews, or dried and deep-fried for a nutritious snack or crispy garnish.
Kidney Beans are the mature seeds of the common green bean (see page 15). In India, where several types of kidney beans are grown, they are known as rajmah. Usually available dried, the beans are dark red in color when fully matured. Fresh kidney beans are sold already shelled in India and in Indonesia.
Appearance & Flavor The most common kidney bean is dark red in color, about 1/3 in (1 cm) in length and distinctly kidney-shaped. Some varieties are smaller and variegated pink and cream. The dark red kidney bean has a good flavor and can be used in either savory or sweet dishes. Choosing & Storing Look for beans
