Butter Bean Curry (Vaal Nu Shaak Recipe), Gujarati Vaal Nu Shaak (2024)

by Gopi Patel 11 Comments

Butter Bean Curry (Vaal Nu Shaak Recipe), Gujarati Vaal Nu Shaak (1)

ગુજરાતી માં વાંચોहिन्दी में पढ़े

Butter Bean Curry (Vaal Nu Shaak) –Butter bean also known as Lima beanis one of the ingredient not often used in Indian cooking. I haven’t seen many recipes made from this tasty protein rich legumes. Actually I didn’t even know how to cook this butter bean curry. This recipe is from my mum-in-law. She told me that the butter bean curry also known as Vaal nu Shaak in Gujarati is one of favorite curry of my hubby. This uncommon ingredient is not that easy to get hands on. So I decided to cook this tasty Lima bean curry as soon as I got it in my kitchen.

Like other legumes/lentils butter bean (vaal) takes a lot of time to cook (check out Kala chana masala recipe). So it is common practice to soak these seeds in water overnight and then pressure cooked for another 20 minutes. Hence thisvaal nu shaak recipe is a pressure cooker recipe.

Health benefits of Butter Beans

Butter Bean Curry (Vaal Nu Shaak Recipe), Gujarati Vaal Nu Shaak (2)

Butter beans help balance blood sugar levels and are good for people with diabetes.

Lima beans / butter beansare very good for your health. For vegetarians they are one of the best source of proteins. They are also rich in dietary fibers.

The high fiber content in Lima beans prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after eating them. They can therefore help balance blood sugar levels while providing steady, slow-burning energy, which makes them a good choice for people with diabetes suffering with insulin resistance.They alsohelp to prevent heart disease, and may reduce the medical dosage required to combat cholesterol in the form of natural food.

Read this article for more information about Health benefits of lima beans.

Let us now check the step by step recipe of Butter/Lima bean curry made in spicy tomato and onion gravy.

Butter Bean Curry Recipe (Vaal Nu Shaak)

1. Rinse the butter beans/lima beans (vaal) in water and soak them overnight. The butter beans tends to grow in size as they soak water so make sure to add sufficient amount of water while soaking.

Like many lentils/daals, butter beans (vaal)takes a lot of time for cooking so it is best to use pressure cooker to cook them quickly. Pour the vaals in pressure cooker and cook on medium flame for around 25 minutes. Let the pressure cooker cool down on its own and check if Vaals are cooked properly or not using a fork.

Butter Bean Curry (Vaal Nu Shaak Recipe), Gujarati Vaal Nu Shaak (3)

2. The tough part of boiling butter beans is done. Let us start with the simple process of tempering spices in oil and make onion and tomato gravy for Vaal ki sabji.

In a non-stick pan heat a tablespoon of oil and add cumin and mustard seeds. Once the seeds crackles, add a pinch of asafoetida, green chili, ginger / garlic pasteandturmeric powder. I have also added garlic red chili chutney in tempering. But this is optional.

Butter Bean Curry (Vaal Nu Shaak Recipe), Gujarati Vaal Nu Shaak (4)3. Throw in the chopped onions and let them saute for 3-4 minutes.

Butter Bean Curry (Vaal Nu Shaak Recipe), Gujarati Vaal Nu Shaak (5)4. Once the onions turns light brown colored, add chopped tomatoes. Cook for another 2 minutes till tomatoes gets soften.

Butter Bean Curry (Vaal Nu Shaak Recipe), Gujarati Vaal Nu Shaak (6)5. Its now time to add final masalas: add coriander powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder and cloves/cinnamon powder and salt to taste. Mix everything well and let thespices get cooked for 3-4 minutes on medium flame.

Butter Bean Curry (Vaal Nu Shaak Recipe), Gujarati Vaal Nu Shaak (7)6. The spicy tomato onion gravy is ready. Add the boiled butter beans (Vaal) in tomato onion gravy and mix it well. Cook for another 4-5 minutes on low flame till all the spices blends in Lima beans. Stir occasionally.

Butter Bean Curry (Vaal Nu Shaak Recipe), Gujarati Vaal Nu Shaak (8)

The spicy tasty butter bean curry (gujarati vaal nu shaak) is ready. Serve it hot along with chappati, roti, paratha or puran puri.

Butter Bean Curry (Vaal Nu Shaak Recipe), Gujarati Vaal Nu Shaak (9)

4.3 from 3 reviews

Butter Bean Curry (Vaal Nu Shaak), Gujarati Vaal Nu Shaak

Butter Bean Curry (Vaal Nu Shaak Recipe), Gujarati Vaal Nu Shaak (10)

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Butter Bean Curry (Vaal nu shaak) - A tasty Indian curry of lima beans / butter beans / vaal cooked in onion tomato gravy.

Author: Gopi

Recipe type: Main, Curry

Cuisine: Gujarati

Serves: 2

Ingredients

  • Butter beans: 1 cup, soaked in water
  • Onion: 1 cup, chopped
  • Tomato: 1 cup, chopped
  • Oil:1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds:1 tsp
  • Cumin seeds:1 tsp
  • Green chili: 1 tsp, finely chopped
  • Garlic:1/2 tsp, paste
  • Ginger:1/2 tsp, finely chopped
  • Red chili powder:1 tsp
  • Coriander powder:1 tsp
  • Garam masala: 1/2 tsp
  • Cloves & cinnamon powder:1/2 tsp, optional
  • Asafeotida (hing): 1/4 tsp
  • Salt: to taste

Instructions

  1. Rise the butter beans and soak them in water for 8 hours or over night.
  2. Boil the butter beans in the pressure cooker for about 25 mins. Start the tempering process to reduce the cooking time.
  3. In a pan heat oil and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let it temper.
  4. Add asafeotida, green chili, ginger , garlic and cook fro about a min.
  5. Now add the onion and saute for about 3 mins to remove the rawness of the onion.
  6. Add the tomato and then cook for about 4 mins. Stir it.
  7. Once the tomato and onion cook it is time to add all the masalas: red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, cloves and cinnamon stick powder and salt to taste mix everything well and cook for about 3 mins so the the masala will blend well with tomato and onion.
  8. Add a cup of water and also the boiled beans and stir it and cook for about 5 mins till all ingredients blends in curry.
  9. Serve the vaal ki sabzi hot with roti, chappthi, paratha.

Butter Bean Curry (Vaal Nu Shaak Recipe), Gujarati Vaal Nu Shaak (11)

Butter Bean Curry (Vaal Nu Shaak Recipe), Gujarati Vaal Nu Shaak (2024)

FAQs

What is the Indian name for butter beans? ›

Desi Val, also known as butter beans are popular legumes that are known for their mild buttery flavor and meaty texture. They are known by several regional names, for instance Lima beans in Hindi are called 'Sem Phali' and Lima Beans in Tamil are called 'Mochai'.

What is vaal called in English? ›

Vaal, known as Lima beans, is popular in China, Peru (habas salads), Mexico (habas con chile) and Thailand, where its name means "open-mouth nut". • In Schezuan cuisine, the beans are combined with soybeans and chili peppers to produce a spicy fermented bean paste called doubanjiang.

What is the Gujarati name for lima beans? ›

Vaal, or lima beans, are a highly prized bean in Gujarati cooking. Vaal nu shaak is considered a “wedding food” and is ubiquitous in Gujarati weddings.

Do I need to soak butter beans before cooking? ›

You don't have to soak your dried beans overnight.

Soaking beans in the refrigerator overnight will reduce the time they have to cook drastically. And the texture of the beans will also be it their best, with fewer split-open and burst ones. But like we said, you don't have to commit this hard.

What are butter beans called in America? ›

Lima Beans. While they're all the same bean botanically, butter beans have different names depending on the region. In the South and in the United Kingdom, they're typically referred to as butter beans. Elsewhere in the U.S., they're known as lima beans (named for Lima, Peru, the bean's point of origin).

Are butter beans healthy? ›

Butter Beans are a fantastically healthy ingredient – they're high in protein and fibre, and they're an excellent source of carbohydrates. Low in fat and calories but high in folate, starch and iron, they're one of the best store cupboard ingredients there is.

What is avarakkai in Gujarati? ›

Avarakkai or flat beans are quite commonly used in Tamil Brahmin cooking. In Hindi / Marathi / Gujarati, it is called Papdi. Try this simple stir-fry recipe for these beans, that goes well with Rasam & Rice.

Is Vaal the same as fava beans? ›

Also Known as Lima beans, Dried vaal, Fava beans, Butter beans. It's sold in Indian shops as val or vaal. Val curry is really popular in all Gujarati homes and served as a dish at most Gujarati weddings too. Val beans have exceptional nutritional value.

What is the Indian name for fava beans? ›

It is also used as a cover crop. Varieties with smaller, harder seeds that are fed to horses or other animals are called field bean, tic bean or tick bean. In Hindi Fava Beans are known as “Baakala”.

What is French bean called in Gujarati? ›

Fansi (French Beans) French beans were originally cultivated in Latin America, but they are now grown throughout the world, and have been part of Indian cuisine for thousands of years. They are a popular vegetable in Gujarat, where they are known as fansi.

What is Patani in English? ›

Patani (Lima Beans)

(This is why they're also called white beans.) You'll often find these in the market either fresh, dried, or canned, depending on the season.

What are Mexican black beans called in India? ›

The Cantina Mexicana Black Beans Whole are commonly known as Rajma in India which are made from Healthy & Organic Ingredients and do not contain any Artificial Preservatives or Artificial Flavours.

What is the difference between butter beans and lima beans? ›

Other than what they're called and sometimes their color, butter beans and lima beans are exactly the same. Their species is called Phaseolus lunatus and the difference in their name is only a matter of geography. In the American South and the United Kingdom, they're butter beans.

How long to soften butter beans? ›

To prepare your batch of butter beans

I find that cooking them from dry (ie without pre-soaking) helps prevent them from going soggy, so just tip them into the pot, add plenty of water to cover, a teaspoon of salt and cook until tender. This should take between six and eight hours.

How to cook butter beans without soaking? ›

Bring cold water to a boil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over high heat. Add beans and salt, and return to a simmer; cover. Bake beans in the preheated oven until tender, about 1 hour and 10 minutes, checking after 30 minutes to ensure beans are still covered with water. If necessary, add just enough water to cover.

What's another name for butter beans? ›

A lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus), also commonly known as butter bean, sieva bean, double bean or Madagascar bean, is a legume grown for its edible seeds or beans.

Are cannellini and butter beans the same? ›

Compared to butter beans, cannellini beans have a nuttier flavor and sturdier makeup. Nutritionally, both butter and cannellini beans are high in protein and fiber and have very similar nutritional profiles.

What is the name of the butter in India? ›

Indian Butter is called as Makkhan which is white in colour. Ladies in India also make it at home by collecting the malai(cream) from top of the milk everyday after few days the collected malai (cream) is churned by hand blender called as Rai in Indian Households.

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