Winged Bean Recipe • What makes them so special?

Winged beans are a complete package. Its tubers, seeds, flowers, stems, leaves, etc. can all be eaten depending on the winged bean recipe. This vegetable is packed with a lot of nutrition and health benefits. The scientific name of the winged bean is Psophocarpus tetragonolobus.

Apart from that, some other names that this vegetable goes by are princess bean, four-angle bean, Goa bean, or asparagus bean. You can make a wide range of dishes with this like wing bean salad, Asian winged beans, etc.

As said above, all the parts of the winged beans plant can be consumed and are a rich source of minerals, vitamins (especially Vitamin A), and proteins. It is one of those rare vegetables that offer a complete dose of nutrients for the body. Be it our outer body or inner health, winged beans work their magic effectively.

Winged Bean Recipes

Some of the best winged bean recipes are:

Thai winged bean salad

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup mint leaves
• Eggs (one egg per serving)
• ½ head thinly-sliced shallots
• One tablespoon finely crushed roasted peanuts
• Three tablespoons toasted shredded coconuts
• 6-8 shrimps
• ½ chicken breasts
• 175gm winged beans

Directions:

1. Heat the water till the point it is steaming heavily but not shimmering and add salt to it.
2. Add the chicken to the mix and poach for about seven minutes
3. Once the chicken breast is hot enough, remove it and let it cool; follow the same procedure with the shrimps
4. Take another bowl of water and boil it in a similar manner and cook the winged beans for a minute; remove them and add them to a bowl of ice water
5. Drain them well and slice the beans into ¼ inches
6. Boil the eggs for eight minutes; once done, submerge them in cold water and peel off the outer shell
7. Combine dressing ingredients like fish sauce, Thai chilies, clove garlic, coconut milk, lime juice, and Thai chili paste
8. Add the mint, peanuts, toasted coconut, shallots, shrimps, chicken, and winged beans into the dressing mix and toss well; serve them with halved boiled eggs

Winged Bean Pickle and salad

Ingredients:

• A few curry leaves
• ¼ teaspoon asafetida
• One teaspoon mustard seeds
• ½ tablespoon oil
• Salt
• One tablespoon lemon juice
• ¾ tablespoon green chili paste
• Two cups chopped winged beans

Directions:

1. Begin by mixing the salt, lemon juice, green chili paste, and the chopped beans
2. In another bowl, heat up oil and add mustard seeds to it; once they begin to splutter, add asafetida and curry leaves
3. Keep mixing the contents in the bowl till it is well-blended
4. Take this mixture and the one that you made previously and blend them properly; serve fresh

Stir-Fried Winged Beans with garlic and tomato

Ingredients:

• One teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• One tablespoon soy sauce
• One large diced tomato
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
• One pound winged beans, cut into bite-size lengths
• Dried red chilies
• Six cloves garlic, sliced thinly
• ¼ cup of vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Heat your largest skillet and add oil; when it starts to shimmer, add chilies and garlic
2. Stir fry the ingredients for ten seconds and immediately add salt and winged beans; stir-fry for another 30 seconds
3. Once the beans brighten in color, add the tomatoes and continue frying; once the tomatoes break down to form a sauce, remove the skillet from the heat source
4. Stir the cooked ingredients in toasted sesame oil and soy sauce; adjust the seasoning according to your taste

Wing Beans and Tofu Stir-fry with Volcano Rice

Ingredients:

• ¼ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
• One tablespoon red miso paste
• One tablespoon reduced and gluten-free sodium soy sauce
• One vegetable bouillon cube
• One cup of hot water
• One 15-ounce package tofu, cubed and pressed
• One tablespoon sesame seed
• One tablespoon fresh minced ginger
• Two cloves minced garlic
• One pound of fresh winged beans, whole and trimmed
• Two medium and thinly-trimmed fresh wing beans
• Four ounces small whole onions
• Two teaspoons sesame oil
• Two cups of cooked volcano rice

Directions:

1. According to the package instructions, cook the volcano rice; on another skillet, start heating the sesame oil
2. Add winged beans, carrots, and onions into the skillet and sauté for four minutes
3. Next, add tofu, sesame seeds, ginger, and garlic and sauté for four minutes
4. Add red chili flakes, miso paste, soy sauce and bouillon cube in hot water and mix properly
5. Add to the skillet and continue to sauté until the vegetables turn tender and crispy
6. Add the stir-fry over the volcano rice and serve hot and fresh

Sirahu Avarrai Poriyal

Ingredients:

• 8-10 curry leaves
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• One teaspoon mustard seeds
• Salt
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• Four dry red chilies
• One medium finely-chopped onion
• ¼ cup washed green gram/Siru Paruppa/Paasi Paruppu/Moong Dal
• 15 winged beans, all chopped

Directions:

1. Start by chopping the winged bean and set them aside; begin cooking the moong dal for ten minutes and make sure that it is not mushy
2. Once done, set the boiled water aside. You can use this to prepare the soup or curry. Heat the oil in a pan and add chopped onions, red chilies, curry leaves, and mustard seeds
3. Add cumin powder, turmeric powder, and chopped beans into this mixture and stir well; add water, salt, and cooked moong dal for 15 minutes in low flame
4. Once cooking is done, you can serve it hot and fresh

What are some health benefits of winged beans?

Some great health benefits offered by winged bean are:

• Slows premature aging: Since winged beans are loaded with Vitamin A and Vitamin C, they work as antioxidants. They also prevent premature signs of aging like the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on the skin.
• Maintains the skin’s elasticity: Thanks to the high dose of antioxidants present in the vegetable, the elasticity of the skin is maintained and you look younger
• Low in calorie: The immature and tender pods of winged beans are low in calories. 100 grams of these beans will not contain more than 49 calories. On the other hand, mature wing bean seeds contain 409 calories per 100 grams. You can eat immature seeds if you want to shed some extra pounds.
• Rich in Vitamin C: As said above, winged beans contain Vitamin C, which helps in strengthening the body’s immune system against infection. It also maintains the elasticity of the blood vessels and protects the body from cancer.
• Full of minerals and vitamins: Winged beans contain a lot of other minerals apart from vitamins like magnesium, phosphorous, calcium, copper, manganese, iron, etc. The abundance of Vitamin A prevents DNA damage since it is a powerful antioxidant. Vitamin B in winged beans improves energy, mood, and vitality.
• Rich source of folate: Folate is an essential component for cell division and DNA synthesis. Winged beans are one of the richest sources of folate. In pregnant women, good folate content in the diet can help prevent neural-tube defects in newborn babies.
• Rich in proteins: When it comes to the quality and quantity of protein, winged beans cannot be compared to anything else. It has been proven that winged beans can have a high protein value comparable to milk, like many other legumes. You can easily renourish a malnourished child who is deficient in protein.
• Contains healthy fats: As most of us already know, not all types of fats are bad for health. There are some that are good for you and are even known as good fat. Winged beans are a great source of polyunsaturated, monosaturated and saturated fats, all of which work together to maintain a healthy body.
• Rich in calcium: Winged beans are rich in phosphorus and calcium. These help in building and maintaining strong bones and also generating energy in the debilitated and sick.
• Contains a wide spectrum of sugars: While sugar might be mainly associated with fitness problems, it is not always bad for health. Our body requires a certain amount of sugar to maintain optimum energy levels and function properly. Winged beans contain a wide range of sugars like maltose, galactose, sucrose, lactose, glucose, fructose, etc. While some help in the proper digestion of food, others aid in the growth of probiotic bacteria in the gut.

Selection and storage of winged bean

Winged beans are available on the market throughout the year in tropical countries. These beans have a lot of local names like kecipir (Indonesia), kacang botol (Malaysia), etc. Although the legume is a great all-round nutritional solution, its cultivation is limited to home gardens and small farms only.

Conclusion

Winged beans contain a whole spectrum of vitamins, minerals, and compounds that are great for the health. These beans are also readily available at any time of the year. The pods should be consumed preferably while fresh to enjoy the delicious natural flavor. Apart from that, you can also add the beans to soups, stews, and salads. They are also great for seasoning.

The other parts of the plant can also be consumed without any worries since they provide a long list of health benefits. But, if you have an allergy to legumes, it is advised that you get in touch with a professional doctor first before you start making a winged bean recipe.