This cluster beans recipe is a dry veggie preparation made with gavar (cluster beans), besan, ajwain and a few basic spices. A simple side dish for roti or dal-rice.
Take gavar phali into a colander and rinse with water by massaging the beans lightly to remove dirt. Let the excess water drain out.
Remove the head and tail parts. While removing those if you find any strings then try to remove them and discard. Then cut into 1-inch pieces.
To prepare the steamer, add a glassful of water to a saucepan. Place a steamer pan and cover it with a lid. Let the water come to a simmer. Once it starts simmering, add chopped gavar and cover the pan with a lid.
Steam for 5-8 minutes or until beans are soft and tender. Remove it from the pan and keep it aside.
While beans are steaming, prepare the besan-spice mixture. Take besan and spice powders (turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder) in a small bowl. Mix and keep it ready.
Heat the oil in a pan or kadai on medium heat. Once hot add ajwain and let them sizzle a bit. Add chopped garlic and green chili. Saute for 30-40 seconds or until the raw smell of garlic goes away.
Add besan-spice mixture. Immediately mix and cook by stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes.
Add steamed gavar and salt. Mix everything well and cook for 2 minutes.
Lastly, add garam masala and amchur. Mix well. Turn off the stove and gavar sabji is ready to serve.
Notes
Here I have mixed the besan and spices ahead of time. This step is for beginners or for those who measure the spices with spoons. If you are confident and quick enough then add the spices quickly one by one. If you are not quick enough then spices may get burned.
Ajwain (carom seeds) are strong in flavor. So be careful while adding. Don’t add a teaspoon of it like we add cumin seeds. ¼ teaspoon is more than enough.
Do not overcook the cluster beans. Otherwise, they taste flat and flavorless.
If you don’t like the mildly bitter flavor at all then boil the chopped beans in lots of water. Then drain and discard the water. Most of the bitterness will go away with that water.