Yard Long Beans or Barbati

Yard Long Beans

I wanted this week's culinary adventure to yield something I could bear to eat after the bitter melon disappointment.  So I opted for something a lot less alien looking - in fact, just a very long version of the french beans I cook with quite often anyway.  My research showed that these are an Asian favourite (China, Thailand, India, Malaysia, etc.) and several of the recipes I found teamed them up with sweet combinations such as coconut or jaggery (essentially block sugar).

Heart-shaped Bean Slices

I decided to go for something with coconut and followed Smitha's Spicy Foods recipe also known as Barbati Kobari Koora.  Urid (or urad) Dal are black lentils that have been peeled and split.  I used nowhere near as much as a tablespoon of red chilli powder - I sprinkled it carefully!  I used coconut powder and I added the turmeric at the same time as the ginger garlic paste.

Barbati Kobari Koora

The smell of the kitchen when I stirred in the coconut powder was delicious, as was the finished dish.  I'd definitely recommend this recipe to anyone fancying a new twist on beans.