Sabzi of the Day - Quick & Tasty: Cluster Beans Recipes for Easy Homemade Dishes

Loaded with nutrients, essential vitamins and minerals, this green veggie not only confers numerous health benefits but also contributes to flavourful dishes.

Cluster beans, or guar, are nutrient-rich legumes native to India, packed with dietary fiber, protein, and minimal fat. They’re a powerhouse of vitamins C and A, along with iron and calcium, supporting immunity, vision, bone health, and anemia prevention.

In 100 grams, they offer 35 kcal Energy, 31 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 7 g fiber, 156 mg Calcium, 96 mg Iron, 3 mg Vitamin C, and 200 IU Vitamin A.

Cluster beans aid weight management, digestion, blood sugar control, and heart health, while providing antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits for overall well-being.

To enjoy most of this amazing veggie, here are some quick, easy and unique recipes you can try at home.

 

Gawar Bhaji (Cluster Beans Dry Curry)

Here’s an easy and healthy recipe for gawar sabzi, made with fresh cluster beans, onions, tomatoes, and a handful of spices for a delicious and nutritious meal.

Ingredients

• 250 grams cluster beans
• 1 tbsp oil
• 90 grams onions or 1 large onion or ½ cup chopped onions
• 50 grams tomato or 1 small to medium tomato or ⅓ cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 green chili, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
• salt to tast
• 1 to 2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

Recipe

• Rinse cluster beans thoroughly under running water. Trim the top and bottom ends of each bean. Group the beans together and chop them into small pieces for faster preparation. Set aside.

• Heat oil in a shallow pan or kadai. Add chopped onions and sauté until translucent.

• Add one chopped green chili, turmeric powder, and a pinch of asafoetida (hing). Mix well.

• Add chopped tomatoes and sauté until they soften slightly.

• Mix in the chopped cluster beans and stir well.

• Season with salt as per taste. Mix thoroughly.

• Cover the pan with a lid, adding water on the lid to create steam for cooking. Alternatively, add ¼ to ⅓ cup water directly to the pan, cover, and cook on low flame.

• Check every 8–9 minutes. If water evaporates but the beans are still uncooked, add more water.

• If beans begin to brown, sprinkle a little water to prevent burning.

• Cook until the beans are tender and any excess water evaporates. If needed, cook uncovered to remove moisture.

• Add chopped coriander leaves and mix well.

Serve hot with chapatis or as a side dish with dal-rice. Enjoy!

Kothavarangai Poriyal recipe (Cluster Beans Poriyal)

Kothavarangai Poriyal is a delicious South Indian side dish that pairs perfectly with a traditional lunch. Bursting with authentic southern flavors, this dish stands out with the addition of moong dal.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cup Cluster Beans (Chopped)
• 2 tbsp Moong dal
• 1 tsp Sambar powder
• ⅛ tsp Turmeric powder
• ¼ cup Grated coconut
• 1 Onion
• Salt to taste
• ½ teaspoon Mustard
• 1 teaspoon Urad dal
• 1 sprig Curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon Oil

Recipe

• Trim the head and tail of the cluster beans, wash thoroughly, and chop finely.

• Boil the chopped beans with moong dal, turmeric, salt, and sambar or red chili powder in water.

• Cook until the beans are tender and the moong dal is just cooked, ensuring the dal doesn’t turn mushy.

• Drain the water and set the beans and dal aside. Alternatively, steam the beans to retain nutrients.

• Heat a kadai and temper it with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and other spices as desired.

• Add chopped onion to the tempering and sauté until it turns translucent.

• Mix in the cooked cluster beans and moong dal. Stir-fry on medium heat for two minutes until the moisture evaporates.

• Add grated coconut, stir well for a minute. Turn off the flame.

Before serving, add 2 tbsp sugar to the Poriyal, and mix well with ghee and rice. Enjoy!

Cluster Beans Thoran (Cluster Beans Coconut Stir Fry)

Cluster beans, also known as guar, are combined with fresh coconut to create a delicious stir-fry.

Ingredients

• ½ cup Grated Coconut- ½ cup
• 1 or 2 Green chili
• 2 Garlic cloves, chopped
• ½ tsp Cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 2 Whole dry Red chili
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 10 Curry leaves
• 20-30 Cluster beans, chopped small
• ¼ cup Water
• Salt- to taste

Recipe

• Coarsely grind coconut, green chili, garlic, cumin seeds, and turmeric powder in a food processor. Set aside.

• Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat until hot.

• Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.

• Toss in dry red chili and curry leaves, sauté briefly.

• Add chopped onions, season with salt, and sauté until translucent.

• Stir in cluster beans and ¼ cup water. Cover and cook until the beans are tender.

• Mix in the ground coconut mixture, adjust salt, and cook until the raw coconut smell disappears and the mixture turns dry.

• Remove from heat, cover, and let it rest for a few minutes.

Serve this flavourful stir-fry as a side dish with rice or roti.

Unique and Delicious Cluster Beans Recipes

Gorikayi Bhaat (Cluster Beans Rice)

A quick and easy one-pot dish that's perfect for any occasion—be it a lunchbox meal, a festive celebration, or even that picnic you’ve been planning.

Ingredients

• ½ Cup chopped cluster beans
• ¼ Cup peas
• 2 Tbsp groundnuts
• ½ Tbsp rasam powder
• 1 Tsp mustard
• ½ Tsp jeera
• A pinch of hing
• 1 Tsp urad dal
• 7-8 curry leaves
• 1 chopped green chili
• ½ Tsp turmeric
• ½ Tbsp jaggery
• 1 Tsp tamarind paste/extract
• 2 Cups cooked, cooled rice
• 2 Tbsp oil
• Salt to taste
• 2 Tbsp freshly grated coconut
• Chopped coriander

Recipe

• Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds; allow them to splutter.

• Prepare curry leaves, urad dal, and chopped green chili. Add these to the pan and fry briefly.

• Toss in peanuts and a pinch of asafoetida; fry until the peanuts turn crunchy.

• Add chopped cluster beans (gorikayi) and sauté until they soften and change color slightly.

• Sprinkle rasam powder and turmeric over the beans and mix well.

• Add shelled green peas and sauté for a few minutes.

• Stir in jaggery and tamarind paste, mixing thoroughly until the jaggery dissolves into the masala.

• Season the cooked and cooled rice with salt, then gently combine it with the prepared masala mixture.

• Finish by adding freshly grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves, mixing well.

Serve with your favorite raita for a delicious meal. Enjoy!

Gorikayi Chutney (Cluster Beans Chutney)

This is a one-of-a-kind, incredibly flavorful Cluster Beans Chutney, also known as Gorikayi Chutney, a special dip from North Karnataka.

Ingredients

• 15 nos Cluster Beans (tender ones)
• 5 - 8 Green Chili (adjust as per taste)
• 2 - 3 tbsp Groundnuts (dry roasted)
• ¼ tsp Coriander seeds
• ½  tsp Cumin Seeds
• Amla
• Tamarind
• Salt - as per taste
• 1-2 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• A big pinch Hing /Asafoetida
• Few Curry Leaves

Recipe

• Wash, cut the tips, and roughly chop the cluster beans.

• Heat oil in a pan and sauté the cluster beans. Add a pinch of salt, mix, and cover with a lid. No water is needed.

• Stir the beans occasionally. While they cook, dry roast the groundnuts until they crackle, then let them cool.

• Once cooled, you can de-skin the peanuts or use them as is.

• When the cluster beans are about 75% cooked, add green chili, coriander, and cumin. Stir well and cook until the beans become soft and tender.

•  Switch off the heat and allow everything to cool.

• Transfer the mixture to a small mixer jar. Add tamarind, salt, and a little water, then grind everything into a coarse paste.

• For tempering, heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, and let them splutter. Add hing and curry leaves.

• Pour the hot tempered oil over the chutney.

Serve the Cluster Beans Chutney with hot steamed rice, chapathi, sandwich, or dosa. Enjoy!

So, don't skip the cluster beans, they're like little green superheroes, fueling your energy and making you unstoppable on the playground!