This Gawar Bhaji is a comforting, healthy and nutritious dry curry made with cluster beans, onions, tomatoes and few spices.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Main Course, Side Dish
  • Cuisine: Goan

Ingredients

  • 250 grams cluster beans ((gavar or gawar))
  • 1 tablespoon 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 as required
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves, (chopped)

Method

Preparation for gawar ki sabzi

  1. Rinse cluster beans/gavar very well in water.
  2. Then take each bean and discard the top and bottom ends. Then club some beans together and chop them in small pieces. Clubbing the beans and chopping them makes this task go easier and faster. Keep aside.

Making gawar ki sabzi

  1. Heat oil in a shallow frying pan or a shallow kadai. Add chopped onion.
  2. Stir the onions and then add 1 green chili (chopped).
  3. Saute stirring often till the onions turn translucent and then add turmeric powder and a pinch of asafoetida (hing).
  4. Mix the turmeric powder and asafoetida with the onions.
  5. Now add chopped tomatoes.
  6. Stir and saute the tomatoes, till they soften a bit.
  7. Then add the chopped cluster beans. Stir and mix well.
  8. Season with salt as needed. Mix again everything very well.

Cooking gavar sabzi

  1. Cover the pan with a rimmed lid. Pour water on the lid. The water in the lid, creates steam in the pan and helps in cooking the cluster beans. Cook the beans on sim or a low flame.
  2. Alternatively you can add some water (about ¼ to ⅓ cup) in the pan. Cover with a lid and then cook. If the water dries up whilst cooking and the beans are not cooked, then you can add some more water, in case the water dries.
  3. Do check the beans after every 8 to 9 minutes, by carefully removing the lid. In case the water dries on the lid, then add some more water and continue to cook the beans.
  4. If you see the beans getting browned, then sprinkle some water in the pan. Usually the beans do not get browned. But depending on the type and quality of pan, the beans can get browned.
  5. Once the beans have cooked well and become tender, switch off the heat. If there is a lot of water or moisture in the pan, then continue to cook the beans without a lid, till all the water has evaporated.
  6. Lastly add chopped coriander leaves. Stir and mix well.
  7. Serve gavar bhaji hot or warm with chapatis or as a side veggie dish with dal-rice.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.