Recipe: Papdi Ane Zucchini Nu Shaak | Hyacinth Beans And Zucchini Sabji
Papdi Ane Zucchini Nu Shaak is a version of the traditional Gujarati style Papdi Nu Shaak. Generally we add brinjal or eggplant but here I have replaced it with zucchini. Easy to prepare and full of earthy, sweetish flavour, this shaak goes best with tuvar ni dal, roti and rice.
What Is Papdi?
Popularly known as Surti Papdi, it is a bean. Also known as Indian Flat Bean, Hyacinth Beans, Avrekaalu, lablab beans, it is a popular Winter Vegetable. The pods are generally small, half moon shaped. The tender pods can be split open and cooked along with the tender beans. As the pods become mature, the beans become a little fatter. The dryish pods cannot be cooked but the beans can. The dry Surti Papdi beans are called Vaal in Gujarati. Being a winter vegetable, it is commonly used to make the popular Gujarati Undhiyu. Besides making the easy flavourful shaak, I add the beans and tender pods to the dhokli dish which hubby loves so much.
Many people presume that Hyacinth Beans and Lima Beans are the same. No, they are not, though they belong to the same family. Lima beans in Hindi is known as Sem Phali. The pods tend to be broad and flat.
Sharing Papdi Ane Zucchini Nu Shaak With The Group A-Z Recipe Challenge
The idea of preparing recipes with ingredients beginning with letters A-Z has been initiated by Jolly Makkar and Vidya Narayan, Jolly blogs at Homemade Recipes and Vidya is the proud blogger at Masala Chilli. We share recipes according to the letter of that alternate month. We’ve reached letter H. Before leaving Bangalore for the long long trip I had baked a Honey And Nut Cake. Unfortunately, it seems I have lost the photos I took. So I was in a dilemma as to what I will post. Will I have to sit this one out? And then Surti Papdi, also known as Hyacinth Beans in English came to my rescue.
Memories
I’m right now in Palatka, a small little town in Florida. What am I doing here, especially when it’s not in any tourists radar? Well, I’m here for my niece’s wedding. Hubby and I came early to help my sister in law prepare for the wedding. 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. And also the airport had to close down one runaway. A Spice Jet airline which arrived from Jaipur overshot its mark while landing and got stuck in the unpaved part of the runway.
For the guests who are already here, we planned a typical Gujarati meal which is DBSR – dal, chaat, shaak and rotli. One of the shaak we prepared was Papdi Nu Shaak. While preparing the shaak it struck me that Surti Papdi in English is known as Hyacinth Beans. So Lo and behold, my dish for the letter H is ready. Why did we use zucchini instead of brinjal? Well, it seems quite a few of my sister in law’s family members don’t like eggplants or brinjals. So she usually adds zucchini instead.
So Far These Are The Dishes I Have Prepared For The A-Z Recipe Challenge Group
Some More Recipes With H Ingredients
Ingredients Required For Papdi Ane Zucchini Nu Shaak | Hyacinth Beans And Zucchini Sabji
Surti Papdi
Also known as hyacinth beans, Indian Flat Bean, Hyacinth Beans, Avrekaalu, lablab beans. To prepare this shaak or sabji we need tender sutra papdi as we will be using the pods too. We may not be able to use all the pods as some may not be tender. Cut the ends of the pod using your fingers. I should snap easily and thread like fibre will be easily rip off the sides of the pod. Open the pod and snap into half. The ones that are not tender, remove the beans and discard the pod. I have also used about 1 cup of frozen surti papdi beans. That way we have more beans than the pods.
Zucchini
Cut the ends of the zucchini and taste to make sure it is not bitter. Yes, sometimes zucchini can be bitter. Dice the zucchini into small cubes. I used one large one.
Oil
Any oil of your choice. I usually like to use sunflower oil.
Mustard Seeds
Also known as rai, sarson ke dane. We add some for tempering or vaghar.
Cumin Seeds
Adds an earthy flavour, we add jeera, jiru for the vaghar.
Carom Seeds
Also known as ajwain, ajmo. We add some to the tempering. It is believed that we should add ajmo to any bean dishes as it prevents bloating of the stomach and aids digestion.
Ginger
fresh ginger, peeled and grated or minced.
Green Chillis
Can add chopped chillis but I prefer minced. Add according to your taste.
Salt
Add according to your taste.
Dhana Jiru
Also known as coriander cumin powder, it is an essential spice mixture for Gujarati cooking. I usually make mine at home. Check out the recipe here.
Turmeric Powder
Also known as hardar, haldi. An essential spice for most Indian dishes.
Asafoetida
Also known as hing or heeng. It adds an umami flavour. Easily available in any Indian Store. If you want to prepare a gluten free shaak then omit the powdered hing as it contains wheat flour.
Fresh Coriander
Add some at the end and mix. Adds flavour.
Water
We need to add a little water so that the beans do not remain raw and also because I am making this shaak in the pressure cooker.
Sugar | Jaggery
Many Gujarati households add a bit of sugar or jaggery to all their dals and shaaks. I don’t add any to this shaak. If you want to go ahead and add some. Usually ½ tsp sugar or tiny jaggery piece should do.
PAPDI ANE ZUCCHINI NU SHAAK/HYACINTH BEANS AND ZUCCHINI
Ingredients
- 500 g Surti papdi | hyacinth beans
- 1 cup surti papdi beans frozen or fresh
- 1 large zucchini or eggplant cut into small cubes
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp ajwain
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp green chilli paste
- ¾ -1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp dhana jiru powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp asafoetida
- 2-3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- 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 or eggplant.
- 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.
Notes
- 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. It is used practically in all the Gujarati sabjis. Can use 1 tsp coriander powder and ¼ tsp cumin powder if you don't have dhana jiru.
Pin For Later:
