Valor beans, potatoes, peas,methis (fenugreek) with muthias(dumplings) curry

I read a comment today that there is a song for every mood.  Whilst that's true, I also believe that there is a dish for every mood.   I know exactly which dish will cheer up which member of my family -and which dish will upset them!!   This dish used to be my father in law's favourite.

Valor beans have a slightly bitterish taste so they are usually cooked with another vegetable like potatoes, peas or even aubergines. They are also used in a traditional dish called Undhiyu, a Gujarati dish.  Recipe for Undhiyu here

To prepare valor, it's a bit similar to shelling peas. You use the kidney shaped seeds and the outer green shell. The bean is stringy so you need to cut the stork and pull the stringy part down the bean as shown below.  you then just use your hands to split the bean in two and then cut the bean into small manageable pieces.

Ingredients to serve 6 (you can adjust the amounts of vegetables according to what you have in the fridge):

Fresh valor  - a handful.  I used about a dozen beans

3 medium potatoes - washed and diced.

half a cup frozen peas ( Allow extra cooking time if using fresh peas)

half a cup of fresh chopped methi (fenugreek)

10 muthias (you can use more if you like)

Recipe for muthias is here

one cup of canned chopped tomatoes

3-4 cloves garlic which should be really crushed finely

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 teaspoon a mixture of cumin and mustard seeds

salt to taste

chilly powder to taste

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoons of sugar or jaggery

1 tablespoon lemon juice.

Method: 

1. Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan with a lid. 

2. Add the mustard and cumin seeds to the hot oil and cover until the popping stops.

3. Lower the heat and add the potatoes, peas, valor and methi. 

4. Stir well and add the garlic, salt, chilly powder, turmeric powder and sugar. 

5. Add one cup of water and stir. 

6. Allow to cook for 10 minutes. 

7. Check that the potatoes and valor have softened. If not - allow five more minutes. 

8. Add the muthias to the curry and allow it to cook for five minutes. The muthias will start to absorb all the flavours of the curry.

9. Add the tomatoes and lemon and allow the curry to simmer for a few minutes until it gets to the consistancy you like. I am not keen on too much gravy in my curries.

10. Try and be gentle when stirring your curry so you can see all the vegetables when it is cooked.

11. Serve with rice or khichedi and any of the Indian breads such as chappatis or porathas.

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