Soy beans have a taste somewhat similar to fresh young lima beans. Choosing & Storing Fresh pods can keep refrigerated in a plastic bag for 2-3 days. Frozen pods can be stored for up to 3 months. Preparing If using fresh pods, rinse well before cooking. Frozen pods should not be thawed first if the recipe calls for them to be cooked whole. Nutritional & Medicinal Properties Fresh soy beans contain over 12% protein and are easily digested. They are also a good source of vitamins B and C. Culinary Uses Fresh green soy beans are commonly boiled whole as a snack, or stir-fried and simmered. If using whole pods (either fresh or frozen), they should be added to boiling water and simmered for about 15 minutes, or until they are tender. Sprinkle with salt and serve warm or at room temperature. The seeds are sucked out and the pods discarded. The beans can also be deep-fried in tempura batter.
Soy Bean Sprouts are less common outside Asia compared to mung bean sprouts. They are very nutritious and flavorsome, and are particularly popular in Korea and among the Chinese. Unlike mung bean sprouts, they must be cooked before being eaten, but they retain an appealingly firm texture even after cooking.
Appearance & Flavor Soy beans sprouts are easily distinguished from mung bean sprouts by the large, pale yellow soy bean seed clearly visible at the top, and the thick shoots with long straggly roots. They have an excellent, almost nutty flavor, and the advantage of remaining firm after cooking. Choosing & Storing Soy bean sprouts are normally sold in a bundle. The sprouts should look crisp and white, with the seed heads still attached. Avoid those with any sign of green leaves sprouting at the seed end. Keep refrigerated in a bowl covered with water for 3-4 days, changing the water daily. The pale skins will normally sink. Preparing Keeping the sprouts tied together, cut off the straggly tails with one stroke of the knife just before cooking. Then untie, rinse and drain. Be sure not to remove the yellowish soy bean at the top of the sprout as it is the tastiest and most nutritious part. Nutritional & Medicinal Properties Soy bean sprouts contain high levels of protein, oil and vitamin C, and are a good meat substitute. Soy beans also have less calories per gram than any other vegetable food. Culinary Uses Soy bean sprouts must be cooked to remove traces of a mild toxin. They are often braised and served either hot or at room temperature, and can also be added to soups, noodle dishes, mixed salads, pickles and stir-fried vegetables, meat or poultry.
Sugar Peas are one of Asia's favorite green peas, with all of the flavor and sweetness of the common Western green pea packed inside a tender, edible skin. Although sugar peas—also known as sugar peas—look like mature snow peas with large seeds, they are actually a different cultivar.
Appearance & Flavor Sugar peas have a mild, slightly sweet taste, and look like young, common green peas. The skin remains tender after cooking. Choosing & Storing Look for firm, bright green pods. Keep refrigerated in a perforated plastic bag for up to a week. Preparing The entire pod is edible. Most sugar peas need stringing although stringless varieties may be available in some countries—test by grasping the stem end down toward the tip. The strings can be pulled off easily. Nutritional & Medicinal Properties Sugar peas are high in beta-carotene and phosphorus as well as vitamin C. Culinary Uses Whole sugar peas are most commonly stir-fried until just cooked, thus retaining their bright green color and firm texture. They are cooked alone, often with a little oyster sauce added just before they are removed from the wok, or are stir-fried with other vegetables, meat, poultry or prawns. Their attractive color makes them a decorative element in many Chinese and Japanese dishes. Sugar peas can also be blanched in boiling water, refreshed in iced water, then used as a garnish or added to salads.
Twisted Cluster Beans or Petai are also known as parkia beans (derived from the botanical name, Parkia speciosa). These pungent, slightly bitter beans are called petai in Malaysia, pete in Indonesia and sa taw in Thailand. The twisted pods are found on massive trees growing wild in the tropical forests, and because of their popularity, are also cultivated. Twisted cluster beans are perhaps an acquired taste, but afficionados who are unable to find the fresh beans outside tropical Asia will even resort to using the canned alternative just so they can indulge in their unique flavor.
Appearance & Flavor The pale green pods, containing around ten to 18 large green seeds, grow in twisted clusters, hence their English name. They are also somewhat impolitely referred to as stink beans, as they share with asparagus the quality of giving a very strong smell to the urine shortly after they have been consumed. Despite this, many people find the curious, pungent flavor of twisted cluster beans particularly appealing. Choosing & Storing Some markets sell twisted cluster beans already removed from their seed pods. However, as the beans ferment fairly quickly, check that they still smell fresh before buying shelled cluster beans. If buying whole pods, make sure they are brightly colored and firm. The beans—frequently labeled peteh—can been found in cans in Asian specialty stores. Preparing Pull off the tough strings at either side of the pod and press out the beans, then peel off the skin covering each bean. Nutritional & Medicinal Properties These beans are a diuretic and have a relaxing effect. Culinary Uses 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
