Aloo Gavar
Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
25 mins
Total time
30 mins
Gawar ki phali (ग्वार की फली), also known as cluster beans in English is a vegetable with a characteristic earthy flavor and slight yet palatable bitterness. Surprisingly, not many people appreciate the taste of cluster beans. But not anymore! Those who do not like it should definitely try this gawar phali recipe. I have used some potatoes along with the cluster beans. The curry has thick gravy of caramelized onions that coats the vegetables.
This is a traditional Sindhi-style gawar aloo sabzi recipe that calls for the most basic ingredients and spices in your pantry. The key to making good cluster beans potato curry recipe is sauté in the vegetables really well with the onions and spices to bring out the earthiness. This gawar aloo sabzi obviously pairs well with roti but it tastes splendid with white rice. Let’s get started with the recipe of cluster beans and potato curry.
Ingredients
- Gawar / Cluster beans – 1 and ½ cup, cut into ½ inch bits
- Potato – 1 medium, diced
- Onion – 2 large
- Tomato – 1 large, chopped
- Garlic – 7 large cloves
- Ginger – ½ inch piece
- Green chilies – 4
- Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
- Cloves - 2
- Kashmiri red chili powder – 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
- Coriander powder – 2 tsp
- Garam Masala – ⅓ tsp
- Everest meat masala – ¾ tsp
- Oil – 3 tbsp
- Water – 1 and ½ cup or as needed depending on your pressure cooker
- Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Instructions
- Take ginger, garlic, green chilies, clove, and cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle.
- Pound them all really well. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add in the onions. Sauté them till they turn golden brown.
- Add the mixture of ginger, garlic, green chilies, clove, and cumin seeds. Sauté till the raw smell disappears and it gives out a nice aroma.
- Add the tomato and cook till they get mushy and some oil begins to separate.
- Add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and meat masala. Cook for a few seconds.
- Add gawar/cluster beans, salt, and sauté them with the masala.
- When the masala begins to stick to the base, add a couple of tablespoons of water and continue to sauté the beans while stirring constantly on high flame. Repeat this process 2-3 times. I used up about ¾ cup of water sautéing the beans.
- Add in ½ cup of water and mix. Close the pressure cooker and cook the cluster beans for 3 whistles. The beans should be partially cooked.
- Open the lid and add in the potatoes. Add some more water if needed. I added another ¼ water. Mix well. Close the pressure cooker again and cook the cluster beans and potatoes for 3 whistles or till the vegetables are completely cooked. Turn off the heat.
- Let the pressure release. Open the cooker. If any water is left, turn the heat on high and let it dry off a bit.
- The oil will begin to separate again. Add in the chopped coriander leaves and give it a final stir. Cluster beans potato curry for rice is now ready.
- Serve the cluster beans potato curry with chapathis or rice. Enjoy!