Valor Muthia Nu Shaak

Valor papdi or Hyacinth Beans are quite popular in Gujarati cuisine. The seeds inside are dried and familiar to those in western India as ‘val‘. Our Gujarati cuisine primer from Tarla Dalal has this recipe for ‘Walor Muthia Nu Shaak’. Yes, she spells it with a ‘w’. (See the recipe here)
Everywhere else, online as well as in print, hyacinth beans are called ‘valor‘ with a ‘v’. Our desi grocer Hasmukhbhai, who’s from Rajkot, pronounces it as ‘valor’ (vaa-lore), with a bite of the lower lip rather than a rounding of the mouth. So we’ll stick to ‘valor’.
Why is the spelling crucial? ‘Cos this is our ‘V’ entry for Nupur’s A-Z of Indian Vegetables Event at One Hot Stove. We chose this over ‘vatana’, ‘vangi’ or ‘vellarikka’, ‘cos it’s a new veggie for us. Besides, anything with muthias has gotta be great.
A word about The Complete Gujarati Cookbook. It’s fabulous. We’ve tried nearly a dozen recipes. We usually cut down the chilli and sugar a bit and double the recipe, and end up with bliss on a plate. We’ve blogged about a few unusual delicacies from the book like Fajeto and Ghugra.
Muthias are steamed or deep fried dumplings with flour and usually a green veggie. In this recipe, they cook directly in the gravy, and help thicken and flavour it. The fenugreek (methi) leaves for these muthias are from our kitchen garden.
VALOR MUTHIA NU SHAAK
Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients
For the methi muthias1 bunch fenugreek leaves (methi), chopped (1 cup packed)1/2 cup whole wheat flour (atta)1/2 cup gram flour (besan)1 teaspoon green chilli-ginger paste1 teaspoon sugarjuice of 1 lime (2 tablespoons)1/2 teaspoon garam masala1/2 teaspoon turmeric powdera pinch soda-bi-carb1 tablespoon oilsalt to taste
Other ingredients
400 grams valor papdi1 teaspoon ajwain (bishop’s weed)1 teaspoon mustard seeds1/2 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)2 teaspoons green chilli-ginger paste1 teaspoon turmeric powder1 tablespoon coriander-cumin seed powder1/2 teaspoon chilli powder1 teaspoon sugar1 tablespoons oilsalt to taste
Method
1. For the methi muthias
2. Put the chopped methi leaves in a bowl, add 1 teaspoon of salt and mix well.
3. Allow to stand for 5 to 7 minutes and squeeze out all the liquid from the methi leaves.
4. Combine with the remaining ingredients in a bowl and knead into a soft dough, adding water only if required.
5. Divide this mixture into 30 portions and flatten by placing between the palms. Keep aside.**we got only 16 small muthias.
How to proceed
1. Wash and string the valor papdi.
2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the ajwain, mustard seeds and asafoetida. When the mustard seeds crackle, add the valor papdi and 3 cups of water.
3. Add the green chilli-ginger paste, turmeric powder, coriander-cumin seed powder, chilli powder, sugar and salt. Cover and simmer till the valor papdi is 3/4 cooked.
4. Gently add the muthias.
5. Cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes till the muthias and valor are cooked. (Valor papdi has a thick outer shell and takes longer to cook than regular green beans).
6. Serve hot with parathas