Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Stir Fry Winged Beans And Eggplants With Dried Shrimps Sambal

This dish is what we would normally order when we eat out.  They seem to be in season now as I see them being sold at Tesco and Jusco and at the wet market. Could not resist buying some back, and I tried to replicate the dish as how it is being cooked. The only ingredients missing are the stink beans and long beans.  Winged beans has a lot of health benefits and is a multi purpose food. Winged beans are also called four angle beans in Asia.  

A simple stir fry of winged beans and baby eggplants with dried shrimps sambal is appetizing and   I can have two bowls of rice with just this one dish :) and I love the fact that winged bean has a lot of benefits and I will add this vegetable to our diet often after reading of its goodness :)  maybe plant them in my small space since the leaves are edible.

Photo courtesy of Terri at HungerHunger


* notes below are excerpts from "16 Benefits of Winged Beans - A Multi Purpose Food"

Growing Area - Winged Beans grow in warm tropical climates such as Florida, South America, Central America, Caribbean, and Asia and the Orient where it’s hot and humid. 
They also grow well in green houses as they twists their way up trellises growing as tall as15 feet… it take about 2 months for great tasting pea pods to appear. 
They love wet weather and climb like crazy, sometimes 6 feet in a couple of days. And the blue flowers are very pretty… plus you end up with 9 inch edible pea pods. 
Taste - The wing shaped beans taste a bit like Asparagus - wonderful. 
Low in Calories - Winged Bean pods are very low in calories which makes them great for weight loss… 50 grams of pods is about 25 calories. 
Dried Beans - If you let the pods mature and dry they become full of protein and the calorie count goes up, about 400 calories for 100 grams which is similar to soybeans. 
Strong Bones and Rehab - Winged Beans are important for building strong bones and for energy for those who are sick and debilitated. 
Whole Plant Edible - The pods, leaves, stems, and the tubers are all edible. 
The tubers can be eaten cooked or raw… and have a good amount of protein with a nutty tasting potato flavor and they are fat free and cholesterol free. 
The seeds must be cooked or roasted and have up to 35% protein which is similar to soybeans. 
The pods can be eaten raw or cooked… and make a very crunchy veggie for salads and stews. 
The leaves and flowers are also edible and contain up to 15% protein… and they are fat free and cholesterol free.
Vitamins A, B, and C - Winged Beans are full of Vitamin C which is a powerful antioxidant that helps to prevent cardiovascular disease, strokes, and cancer. 
Winged Beans also contain lots of Vitamin A which is another powerful antioxidant that helps to prevent DNA damage. 
And Winged Beans also contain B Vitamins for vitality, mood enhancement, and energy. 
Fiber - Winged Beans have a lot of fiber which is important for growing probiotic bacteria in your colon which boosts your immune system. 
Contains - Winged Beans contain potassium for cardiovascular health and water regulation, selenium for fertility, calcium and phosphorus for strong bones, iron and copper for anemia, magnesium for metabolism, and manganese for boosting your immune system. 
Enzymes - They also contain lots of live enzymes which are important for good health. 
Fats - And the fats in Winged Beans contain a full spectrum of saturated fats, mono saturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats. 
Protein - Winged Beans contain a full range of proteins from alanine to valine… this is about the only plant I know of that has a full spectrum of proteins - Wonderful!!!
Sugars - Winged Beans contain lots of different types of sugars from fructose to glucose, lactose, sucrose, galactose, and maltose. Some of these are very important for the growth of probiotic bacteria. 
Uses - Winged Bean Seeds can be roasted and used in soups and stews just like other dried beans and peas. 
The green pea pods can be used in stir fries, soups, stews, curries, they can be grilled with salt and pepper with oil, cooked with coconut milk, and they can be used raw in salads… they commonly used in Asian cooking.
The leaves of the plant are edible and are commonly used in stews and stir fries… add some garlic sauce and you have a wonderful meal. 
Plus the blue flowers can also be used to add color to cooked rice and pastries.
And the seeds can be fried and mashed together with mashed potatoes made into a patty and browned on both sides… to make a wonderful tasting potato and Winged Bean patty. 
Flour - Winged Beans can be made into flour for making bread which is a great alternative to wheat flour… much higher in protein. 
Nitrogen Fixing - Winged Beans also fix nitrogen in the soil… which is essential for rejuvenating poor soils. 


























Stir Fry Winged Beans And Eggplants With Dried Shrimps Sambal 

Ingredients:

400 gm winged beans - wash clean and cut at a slant of 1/2 inch thick
2 baby eggplants - wash clean and cut into strips

2 cloves of garlic - chopped
1 to 2 tsp of chili paste - depends on dividual taste
2 tbsp of dried shrimps - soak and lightly pounded
1/2 inch square of toasted belacan

1.5  tbsp of vegetable oil
a few tbsp of water

Method:

Heat up wok, add in oil and chopped garlic and saute for a min, add in dried shrimps, chilli paste and toasted belacan. Continue to saute till aromatic.  Add in the cut winged beans and eggplants and stir fry for a few mins, add a few tbsp of water and continue to stir fry till the veggies are cooked . Dish up and serve with rice.

Enjoy !


4 comments:

  1. It can be eaten raw too, like ulam with sambal belacan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yea...it taste good too eaten raw with Sambal belacan and healthier too :)

      Delete
  2. Those winged beans are really cool. Never seen anything like that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Angie...winged beans can be found mostly in Asian countries and US. I guess you can't find winged beans in Germany :)

      Delete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...