Vaal Nu Shaak
Recipe: Vaal Nu Shaak
Vaal Nu Shaak is the Gujarati style lima bean curry. Prepared without any onion or garlic, this shaak or curry is generally a part of a big meal for festivals or weddings. It is usually prepared along with Gur Na Ladwa, Tuvar Ni Dar, along with green vegetables, rotli and rice. But today I have not made the other side dishes as hubby and I wouldn’t be able to finish all that food. We enjoy Vaal nu shaak with either some roti (wheatflhour flatbread) or plain rice.
Memories
My hubby’s aunt had all the patience in the world. She would soak and cook the beans, which most of us do. However, she would peel the skin off each bean before making the curry. Once I asked her why she peels them and her reply was ” who eats Vaal nu shaak with the skin?” I just kept quiet!
On doing some research, the reason some peel the boiled beans it so that the end dish is more creamier, without the tough fibrous skin. Also it prevents bloating of the stomach. And no, I don’t have the patience to peel the beans. Though I do add ajwain which generations have been doing for any bean dish. Ajwain or bishop’s weed, carom seeds prevents bloating and makes beans more digestible.
What Is Vaal?
Vaal is the Gujarati word for lima beans. Lima beans, butter beans, Madagascar beans, sieva beans. These beans actually originate from South America. During the winter season in India, fresh lima beans (hyacinth beans, field beans) along with the tender pods are prepared as side dish in different styles. All depends on which part of India you are in. Gujaratis tend make a dry shaak or sabji . The fresh beans are a must for the popular Gujarati dish Undhiyu. Lima beans vary in size – from the small baby type to the large meaty butter beans. For today’s dish I am using the medium size beans.
Sharing Vaal Nu Shaak Recipe With The Group Sunday Funday
Our host this Sunday is Camilla who blogs at Culinary Cam. She wrote ” April 20th is Lima Bean Respect Day. Let’s fête this much-maligned bean. Depending on where you find the beans, they may also go by one of the following names: butter peas, gigante beans, Madagascar beans, and chad beans. I almost didn’t participate but then thought that is an excellent opportunity to get the Gujarati Style Lima Bean Curry on my blog. Often the younger generation of Gujarati women ask me how to make the famous wedding style Vaal Nu Shaak. So here is the recipe, and about time too!
Some Recipes With Beans That You May Like
Recipes With Lima Beans By Members Of Sunday Funday
- Butter Beans Curry, Maharashtrian Sprouted Usal, Instant Pot Recipe by Cook with Renu
- Creamy Thyme Butter Beans by Food Lust People Love
- Greek Yogurt Soup With Zucchini, Liman Beans & Red Lentils by Sneha’s Recipe
- Ham & Baby Lima Bean Soup by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
- Pizza Beans by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Southern Style Green Lima Beans by Making Miracles
- Summer Squash Succotash by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Vaal Nu Shaak by Mayuri’s Jikoni
- Why All the Hate? Recipes to Convert Lima Bean Despisers by Culinary Cam
Ingredients Required For Vaal Nu Shaak
Lima Beans | Vaal
I have used medium size dry lima beans. You can use any size of lima beans. Can also prepare this curry using fresh lima or papdi dana. Soak the dry Vaal or lima beans in enough warm water for 8 hours or overnight. The water should be at least 3 inches above the level of the beans. For 2 cups of dry beans I used 4 cups warm water. If you use butter beans, the recipe is the same. Can used canned lima beans.
Oil
Any oil of your choice. I have used sunflower oil. We need 3 tbsp as we’re going to roast the besan or chickpea flour.
Water
Plenty of tap water required for soaking, cooking the beans and adding to the shaak or curry.
Mustard Seeds
Need rai, sarson ke dane for tempering, tadka or vaghar.
Carom Seeds
Don’t omit these seeds. We add some to the tempering, tadka or vaghar. Carom seeds also known as ajmo, ajwain, bishop’s weed. Carom seeds prevents bloating and helps to digest the beans.
Cinnamon
Add about 1 inch cinnamon stick to the tempering or tadka. Adds a subtle flavour to the curry.
Cloves
Add about 3-4 to the hot oil. Cloves too add a subtle flavour.
Peppercorns
Add 6-8 to the hot oil. They add a subtle flavour to the curry.
Whole Dry Red Chilli
Add 1-2 whole dry red chillis. As they simmer in the curry a subtle flavour and heat is added to the curry.
Kokum
Also known as Garcinia indica. The dry fruit is added to curries as it imparts a sweet and sour flavour as it simmers in the shaak. If you don’t have kokum then add about 1-2 tbsp tamarind paste or lemon juice. Add lemon juice at the end.
Green Chilli
Add according to your taste. Can add chopped or minced green chilli paste. I prefer minced. Anyway I always have the minced paste in my freezer. Makes prepping dishes easier.
Ginger
Peel and grated on minced. I also keep ginger minced in the freezer. I like to store both minced green chillis and ginger in zip lock bags. Add to the bags and flatten a bit with the rolling pin. This way it is easier to snap off the frozen ginger or chilli .
Chickpea Flour
Also known as besan, chana no lot, chane ka atta. It is roasted in the oil till it becomes light pink in colour and you get the aroma. It helps to thicken the gravy.
Coriander Cumin Powder
An essential spice mixture for any Gujarati kitchen. We usually make it at home. Check out my homemade dhana jiru as it is called in Gujarati. If you don’t have any then use 1 tsp coriander powder and ¼ tsp cumin powder.
Asafoetida
Known as heeng or hing in Hindi and Gujarati. It not only adds an umami flavour to the curry but also helps in digestion.
Turmeric Powder
Also known as haldi, hardar. Add a little to the lima beans when boiling them and then add a bit more to the curry.
Tomato Puree
Some Gujarati households don’t add tomato or tomato puree at all. My mum and MIL always added a bit for flavour and overall colour of the curry or shaak. Puree fresh tomato or used canned pureed tomato. I prefer to use passata which is locally prepared by a restaurant in Magog, Alessa. Their passata is not too tangy and is thick.
Jaggery
For this Vaal nu shaak jaggery or rather a bit of sweetness is necessary. I like to add jaggery, either the powder or lump form. If you don’t have jaggery then use brown sugar.
Salt
Add according to your taste. I usually don’t add any when I cook the beans. My mum always would say that it prevents the beans from cooking well. Don’t know if that is true or not. Didn’t want to change the old tradition. I usually add the salt when we simmer the shaak or curry.
Red Chilli Powder
Optional. It depends on how hot the green chillis are. This time round the minced green chillis are pretty mild so I added a bit of red chilli powder.
Fresh Coriander
Wash and chop fresh coriander or cilantro. If the stems are tender chop those too as they are full of flavour.
SOAKING AND COOKING THE LIMA BEANS
- Always soak the beans in warm water. Allow them to soak for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Never use the water in which the beans have been soaked. It contains phytic acid (phytates) tend to cause bloating of the stomach. It also reduces the absorption of certain essential minerals.
- Wash the soaked beans under running water to remove dirt, phytic acid.
- I boil the beans in the Instant Pot. Add enough water so that the beans cook properly. Usually 12-15 minutes on low normal pressure cooking setting is enough. I allow the pressure to release on its own and then open the lid. After boiling if they remain hard then the dry beans are old. You can eat the beans but it will take longer to digest and make cause stomach cramps.
- You can boil the beans in a pressure cooker. Allow it to cook over medium heat for 3-4 whistles. Allow the pressure to reduce naturally before opening the pressure cooker.
- I generally don’t use the water in which the beans have been cooked as it contains saponin. But many do use it. If you want to skim the foam off from the top.
VAAL NU SHAAK, GUJARATI STYLE | LIMA BEAN CURRY
Ingredients
SOAK THE LIMA BEANS
- 2 cups dry lima beans medium size
- 4 cups warm water
TO BOIL THE BEANS
- soaked lima beans or vaal
- 3 cups water
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
FOR VAAL NU SHAAK | LIMA BEAN CURRY
- cooked lima beans
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 3-4 cloves
- 6-8 peppercorns
- 2 kokums
- 1 whole dry red chilli
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp ajwain
- ¼ tsp asafoetida
- 2 tbsp chickpea flour
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp coriander cumin powder
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp green chilli paste
- ¼ tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tbsp jaggery powder
- 1½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup pureed tomato | passata
- ¼ cup fresh coriander chopped
Instructions
SOAK THE LIMA BEANS | VAAL
- Add the beans in a big mixing bowl.
- Add 4 cups of warm water.
- Cover the bowl and allow the beans to soak for 8 hours or overnight.
BOILING THE LIMA BEANS
- Transfer the soaked beans to a colander.
- Collect the water in which the beans were soaked as you can use it for your plants.
- Wash the beans under running tap water.
- Transfer the beans to an Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker.
- Add 3 cups water and ¼ tsp turmeric powder.
- Close the lid of the pressure cooker or Instant Pot.
- If you are using a pressure cooker slot in the pressure whistle and put it over medium heat.
- Cook for 3-4 whistles.
- For Instant Pot, make sure the pressure or steam release valve is set to sealing position.
- I use pressure cook setting at normal low for 12 minutes.
- Then I allow the pressure to release naturally which takes about 10-15 minutes.
PREPARE VAAL NU SHAAK | LIMA BEAN CURRY
- Drain out the water from the cooked lima beans or vaal. Using a colander is the best.
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- When it becomes hot add cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, kokum and dry red chilli.
- When the spices begin to sizzle, add mustard seeds.
- Then add carom seeds or ajwain.
- Lower the heat and add chickpea flour.
- Keep stirring all the time so that the flour does not burn.
- When you get the aroma and the flour is light pink in colour add asafoetida, ginger and chilli pastes.
- Stir fry for 30 seconds.
- Add turmeric, red chilli and coriander cumin powders.
- Add the pureed tomato. Mix well.
- Add salt, jaggery and mix well. Cook the mixture for 1-2 minutes.
- Add about 1 -1½ cup water.
- Add the cooked beans and mix well.
- Increase the heat to medium and cover the pan.
- Allow the vaal nu shaak to simmer over low to medium heat for 5 minutes.
- The curry will have become a bit thick. Add chopped coriander and mix well.
- Serve lima bean curry with some roti, paratha or plain rice.
Notes
- If you are using dry lima beans allow them to soak in warm water for at least 8 hours.
- Adjust spices according to your taste.
- Don't use the water in which the beans are soaked for cooking. It may contain dirt and also causes bloating as it contains phytic acid.
- Cook the beans well so that it does not create stomach issues like bloating and cramps.
- Boiled beans freeze well. I usually store them for 1 month.
- We prefer the curry a bit thick. Can add more water for a thinner gravy.
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A Small Request
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
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