Papdi and Zucchini Shaak/Hyacinth Beans and Zucchini Sabji

EVENT: A- Z RECIPE CHALLENGE
THEME : A DISH BEGINNING WITH THE LETTER H
What is the A- Z Challenge? Well, we’re a Facebook group and every alternate month the participants make a dish with the relevant letter. The group was started in May 2018 by Jolly Makkar and Vidya Narayan.
For the month of July we have to post a recipe using an ingredient that begins with H. This is one challenge where when I’m, making any new dish that’s not for any groups I’m part of then its goes straight into my draft file for later use. Before leaving for Bangalore, I had baked a Honey and Nut Cake. However, I just can’t find the photos and I don’t have time to bake another one. I guess the recipe will have to wait for another time, another theme.
I’m right now in Palatka, a small little town in Florida. What am I doing here, especially when its not in any tourists radar? Well, I’m here for my niece’s wedding. Came early to help my sister in law prepare for the wedding. Any of you have got kids married off know how much planning and work it involves. Basically, as guests begin to arrive from 4th July, I’m in charge of the kitchen. My mother in law, sister in law and brother in law were suppose to arrive on 2nd July from Mumbai but after waiting for hours at the airport their flight got delayed and eventually cancelled because of the torrential rains in Mumbai and also because they had to close down the runaway. A Spice Jet airline which arrived from Jaipur overshot its mark while landing and got stuck in the unpaved part of the runway.
I made some papdi and zucchini nu shaak to go with dal, roti, rice and a sweet dish. It was while I was preparing the sabji that it struck me that the English name for papdi is Hyacinth Beans.
So Lo and behold, my dish for the letter H is ready. Also known as lablab beans, hyacinth beans are usually available during winter in India. Here in US, I’m made to understand that there are a couple of farms owned by Indians where many of the Indian vegetables are grown. My sister in law bought the hyacinth tender pods from the Indian shop and we added frozen hyacinth beans or surti papdi as its known as in Gujarat.
This sabji or shaak is traditionally prepared with eggplant or is used to make undhiyu. Since we didn’t have an eggplant and the Indian Shop is about an hour away from Palatka, I used zucchini as my sister in law suggested. This sabji is so easy to prepare. You do not need any special spices or spice mixtures. Also, I made it in a pressure cooker over low to medium heat and the pods got cooked well. One whistle is usually enough as you don’t want the beans and pods to become mushy. Since this shaak is a bit dry i.e. has no gravy, it is usually served with a dal or any other vegetable curry.
PAPDI AND ZUCCHINI SHAAK/HYACINTH BEANS AND ZUCCHINI CURRY
Serves 4
500g papdi/hyacinth beans
1 cup surti papdi beans (small hyacinth beans)
1 large zucchini, cut into small cubes
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds (rai)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeeru)
½ tsp ajwain/carom seeds (ajmo)
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp green chilli paste
¾ -1 tsp salt
1 tbsp dhana jiru powder
½ tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
¼ tsp asafetida (hing)
2-3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
¼ cup water
- Prepare the papdi (pods) by removing the tips from both ends and removing the side veins if they peel off. Open the papdi up into two. If they are too long then snap into halves. Wash in a colander along with surti papdi beans.
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker without the lid over medium heat.
- When it becomes hot, add mustard seeds.
- As soon as the seeds begin to pop, add cumin and ajwain seeds.
- Add hing and turmeric powder.
- Immediately add the papdi, surti papdi beans along with the zucchini.
- Add salt, ginger and chili pastes. Mix well.
- Add water and mix. Shut the pressure cooker properly with its lid.
- Insert the whistle. Lower the heat to between low to medium.
- Let the shaak cook till one whistle blows.
- Take the pressure cooker off the heat and let the pressure reduce naturally. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO OPEN THE PRESSURE COOKER WHEN HOT.
- When the pressure cooker has cooled down a bit, gently lift the whistle with tongs allowing any pressure left to be released.
- Mix the shaak well. Put it on medium heat again.
- Add dhana jiru and chopped coriander. Let it become hot and serve with roti and dal.
Tips:
- If the hyacinth beans do not snap easily then don’t use it as the pod is too old. Use only fresh and tender pods.
- Replace the zucchini with chopped eggplant if you want to make the traditional shaak.
- Dhana jiru is a mixture of 1:¼ of coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Both are roasted separately and then ground together into a powder. Its used practically in all the Gujarati sabjis.
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So far these are the dishes I’ve made for A-Z Recipe Challenge Group:
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45 Comments
Rafeeda – The Big Sweet Tooth
July 8, 2019 at 10:09 am
I love your masala rich sabzi… looks really tempting. I have never tried hyacinth beans before but since I love french beans and string beans, I guess I must try these too…
The Girl Next Door
July 8, 2019 at 12:15 pm
This looks absolutely delicious! I’m a big fan of Gujarati style shaak and this one is right up my alley. 🙂
Would love to try making this as and when I can get my hands on some papdi and Surti papdi here in Bangalore.
mayurisjikoni
July 19, 2019 at 9:56 am
Thanks Priya, I’ve not seen the tender surti papdi in Bangalore but have used the beans available in winter to make this style sabji with eggplant.
Niranjana Sankaranarayanan
July 8, 2019 at 1:29 pm
Simple and healthy recipe. Basically I am not a big fan of hyacinth but will try your recipe.
mayurisjikoni
July 19, 2019 at 9:55 am
Thanks Niranjana, please do try out this simple version, never know you may like it.
Batter Up With Sujata
July 12, 2019 at 6:51 am
Loved this simple easy yet delicious recipe Mayuri. We also make a dry curry with eggplant and hyacinth beans. Not only roti but I would also love to have it with some hot steamed rice.
mayurisjikoni
July 19, 2019 at 9:50 am
Thanks Sujata, will have to try this sabji with rice.
themadscientistskitchen
July 16, 2019 at 4:39 pm
Now this is one delicious way of eating Papdi. I love them but can’t say that about the rest at home. I love this recipe and will try it out.
mayurisjikoni
July 19, 2019 at 9:47 am
Thanks Archana, we too love papdi.
Vidya Narayan
July 18, 2019 at 5:39 pm
I personally love Surti Papdi and they are available here during winters for Undhiyo. The sabzi looks hearty and delicious. With Ghee Phulkas, it would be a complete treat! Hope you are enjoying your travels.
mayurisjikoni
July 19, 2019 at 9:45 am
Thanks Vidya, its after ages I got to prepare one of my favorite sabjis. Yes with ghee phulka, its awesome.
Flavours Treat
July 18, 2019 at 8:43 pm
What a coincidence, I was actually looking for a recipe with hyacinth seeds as I bought some frozen ones to try for 1st time. This is such a simple yet flavourful dish. Thanks for sharing:)
mayurisjikoni
July 19, 2019 at 9:44 am
Most welcome, hope you like it.
poonampagar
July 19, 2019 at 8:48 am
We make papdi curry with potato and use it in bhogichi bhaji with eggplant. Pairing it with zucchini is new to me. The curry looks delicious and I would love trying it sometime soon.
mayurisjikoni
July 19, 2019 at 9:44 am
Thanks Poonam, try it, it does taste good with zucchini.
Aruna
July 21, 2019 at 9:28 am
I make Papdi just for the beans, they are my absolute favourite. This simple dish is so deceptive because it is the ultimate soul food. 🙂
mayurisjikoni
July 23, 2019 at 10:54 am
Thanks Aruna, it is ultimate soul food.
Sandhya
July 22, 2019 at 3:16 am
This shaak looks so yummy Mayuri! I like how you added zucchini to this traditional shaak.
mayurisjikoni
July 23, 2019 at 10:55 am
Thank you so much Sandhya.
Ankita Dash
July 23, 2019 at 11:35 am
Very interesting recipe. Looks very delicious.
mayurisjikoni
July 23, 2019 at 11:53 am
Thank you so much Ankita.
Mildlyindian (@mildlyindian)
July 25, 2019 at 1:28 pm
hope you are having fun with your family at the wedding… but then you managed to put this through as well. Wow!!
now I am on a hut for hyacinth benas this winter, not sure if the frozen ones can do justice to the colour of this recipe.
mayurisjikoni
July 25, 2019 at 4:26 pm
Thanks Seema, the pods were fresh but the extra beans I used were frozen. Try them, the trick is to add only haldi, and fresh spices first. When the sabji is done then I add dhana jiru and red chili powder if using any.
Jolly
July 25, 2019 at 4:01 pm
I love Surti Papdi and they are easily available here in Bangalore. The sabzi looks so healthy and yummy. Love to eat with roti and side raita. A comfort & perfect meal for me. Hope you are enjoying your vacation. See you soon in Bangalore 😊
mayurisjikoni
July 25, 2019 at 4:22 pm
Thank you so much Jolly. And yes this time we have to meet up.
Paarulp
July 27, 2019 at 7:33 am
Healthy and comforting meal when paired with bhakri.Love it anytime.
mayurisjikoni
July 28, 2019 at 6:00 pm
That’s true Paarul, thank you so much.
Anshu Agarwal
July 27, 2019 at 3:28 pm
Such an humble dish but full of flavors. I love these kind of curries which are not only super quick and easy but also very delicious nd healthy. Bookmarked it. Great share for the theam!!
mayurisjikoni
July 28, 2019 at 6:00 pm
Thanks Anshu, I too love simple easy sabjis for everyday and yet they are so flavourful.
Jagruti Dhanecha
July 28, 2019 at 7:17 pm
Always love to enjoy papdi and ringanu saak, but never tried with courgette, must have tasted delicious. Healthy and perfect vegan sabji to finish with ghee vari rotli. daal, bhaat 🙂
mayurisjikoni
July 29, 2019 at 5:30 am
Jagruti as courgette is basically tasteless, it just added the kind of thickness that eggplant adds to the papdi and its a great alternate.
Malini
July 29, 2019 at 9:33 am
The whole recipe sounds very interesting to me. I have not used hyacinth beans in curry yet. It looks like a healthy and flavorful sabji. My family members are used to south Indian food, I am gonna surprise them by making this recipe soon. 🙂
mayurisjikoni
August 4, 2019 at 7:10 am
Thanks Malini, hope they love the sabji. Its so simple to prepare.
sizzlingtastebuds
July 29, 2019 at 2:02 pm
loving the addition of zucchini here.. simple and delicious !! I get the normal papdi year round, wil try with that…
mayurisjikoni
August 4, 2019 at 7:08 am
Thanks Kalyani. Its a simple and healthy sabji. Try it.
jayashreetrao
July 30, 2019 at 10:00 am
I like this beans, it has a unique taste, the sabji looks tasty and ideal with any meal.
mayurisjikoni
August 4, 2019 at 7:06 am
Thanks Jayashree, I too love papdi.
FoodTrails
July 30, 2019 at 5:53 pm
I never tried the beans veggie but had it in undhiyo that my gujarati neighbour used to treat us. Such a simple dish.. love to have it with some hot chapatis.
mayurisjikoni
August 3, 2019 at 10:19 am
Swati its a common sabji in UK and US as the beans are readily available in the frozen section in any Indian shop. In India and Kenya have to wait for the season.
Sasmita Sahoo Samanta
July 31, 2019 at 12:25 pm
This sabji looks super simple and healthy one …. I would love to pair with some hot phulka…..it seems much comforting as well 🙂
mayurisjikoni
August 3, 2019 at 10:18 am
Thanks Sasmita, not only is it easy to make and yes its healthy.
Renu Agrawal Dongre
December 2, 2019 at 8:24 pm
I do not like papdi much but loved your version with zucchini, would love to give a try. Thanks for the tip on cleaning the papdi, I was not knowing about this.
mayurisjikoni
December 3, 2019 at 7:42 pm
You probably get them in the freezer section in Ireland, I always joke with my family that they tend to get it throughout the year and in India its only during the season. With zucchini it does taste good.
shobhakeshwani
April 19, 2020 at 3:22 pm
A nice and different combo. Now-a-days zucchini is easily available in India. I will surely try out this shaak.
mayurisjikoni
April 19, 2020 at 7:08 pm
Thank you so much Shobha.