Mocha Kottai is called as Field beans or Hyacinth bean or Val beans in English. It is a dry beans variety and is found in all Indian grocery shops. Also you can try the same recipe with karamani (black eyed beans). This is mochakottai/Val beans helps in digestion and its fibre content, helps in reducing the weight.

This is mocha kottai curry is a traditional and common dish among all south Indian families, especially in TamilNadu, India. My mom use to prepare this mostly on Thursdays, I never knew the reason, but she says we should never prepare it on festive period. May be during marriage or any other function in our family we never prepare this dry beans variety, not only it happens with us also it is applied for our relatives and this culture is common among few communities in Tamil Nadu.

I love this curry to core, this curry goes out well with steamed rice when accompanied with mild stir-fry in vegetarian, but I love this curry when accompanied with deep fried sardine or dry fish stir-fry. Let us move on to the recipe…

Mochakottai Kulambu / Val beans curry

Ingredients:

• Mochakottai / Val beans – ½ cup
• Onions – 1 ½ no
• Tomato – 1 no
• Chili powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Garlic cloves – 5 nos
• Tamarind – a small lemon sized
• Coconut pieces – 50 gm
• Cumin seeds – 1 ½ tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil – 3 tsp
• Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
• Split blackgram – ¼ tsp
• Curry leaves – a sprig

Making of Mochakottai Kulambu / Field Beans Curry –

Preparation:

• Fry the mochaikottai/val beans for few min, until the raw smell goes out and it turns golden brown in color.
• Soak the roasted mochakottai for almost 6 hrs in water.
• Prepare Tamarind extract.
• Peel and finely chop the onions and tomatoes.
• Grind the coconut pieces along with 1 ¼ tsp of cumin seeds to a fine paste by adding little water.
• Drain the water from the soaked mochakottai/val beans and pressure-cook it for about 5 whistles.
• Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, split blackgram, cumin seeds and curry leaves, wait till they crackle.
• Add in the onions and cook until they turn golden brown.
• Add in the tomatoes and cook until they turn mushy.
• Add all spice powders and cook until the raw smell goes off.
• Add only the cooked mochakottai/val beans followed by salt and cook for few mins.
• Pour in the ground coconut paste and cook until the raw smell goes off.
• Pour in the tamarind extract and the leftover water from the pressure cooked mochaikottai/val beans.
• Cover with the lid and bring to boil, remove the lid when the oil starts floating on the top.
• Keep in medium flame, until it reaches the curry consistency.
• Remove from fire.

With spices and onions

With tomatoes and spice powders

Pressure-cooked mochakottai/val beans

With mochakottai/val beans

With coconut paste

Getting cooked

With tamarind extract

Curry getting ready

Mochakottai Kulambu / Val beans curry

Serve hot with steamed rice, any vegetable stir-fry or Dry fish stir-fry and pappad.