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    Home » Vegetarian Side Dishes » Pithiki pappu kura ~ Hyacinth Bean Curry

    Pithiki pappu kura ~ Hyacinth Bean Curry

    Published: Aug 9, 2007 · Modified: Oct 26, 2022 by Srivalli · 26 Comments

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    Pithiki pappu kura or Hyacinth Bean Curry is an authentic traditional Andhra gravy side dish made with deskinned beans of Hyacinth or Annumulu. This is a winter special dish as these beans are available only during that season.

    Pithiki Pappu Kura

    This Pithikkina Pappu Kura is a seasonal winter gravy dish we make with Anapa Ginjala or Anumulu. I first shared this during 2007, the year I started blogging and shared all our family recipes.

    While searching to find the exact name of these beans in English, I also did a long distance call to Amma to confirm what these were called in Telugu. After doing quite an amount of time researching the name, I was surprised to know this is Dolichos lablab (botanical name), English - Hyacinth bean, Hindi - Bhaja vasu, Telugu - Anumulu, Tamil - Avarai, Kannada - Anvare. Phew!

    My early memory of this gravy is eating this at our family friend's house. Aunty is an excellent and effortless cook. All it takes for her to cook is a jiffy! The memory of that day is still faintly lingering somewhere…still its good enough that I always relate to that. After that I remember Amma making it every winter. It has always been my task of removing the skin as others would never get it right.

    After marriage, I found that my family loves it too. We have kept to the tradition of making this in winters and when Athamma always would buy this in huge quantity and pack it. She even used to help me in removing the skin and this will always be one of those dishes which will make me miss her more!

    We call this Pithikkina or Pithiki Pappu Kura as the soaked beans are pressed out of its skin.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • How to Store deskinned Hyacinth Bean
    • Other Recipes with Hyacinth Beans
    • Recipe
    • PIN This for Later!

    Ingredients

    Pithiki pappu kura is prepared with deskinned beans, we have to soak the beans in water for a enough time for the skin to peel off easily. As with most Andhra kuras or kurmas, we make this with a paste of coconut, gasa gasa and fennel.

    Ingredients for Pithiki Pappu Kura
    • Coconut - For this Pithiki pappu kura, you can either use fresh coconut meat to grind to a smooth paste or else extract milk. We mostly use thick coconut paste, ground with fennel seeds.
    • For the Gravy - We use the tempering ingredients like Mustard Seeds, Cumin Seeds and curry leaves.
    • Hyacinth Bean - We call these beans Annumulu or Anapaginjalu in Telugu or Avarai in Tamil. The fresh tender beans are soaked in water overnight or for 10 hours, that loosens the outer skin. We de-skin and use the tender bean inside.
    • Potatoes - Though potato is optional in this gravy, adding it gives you more gravy and a good taste as well.
    • Onions - Finely chopped onions gives good body to the gravy
    • Tomato Puree - You can either finely chop tomatoes or make puree before adding to the gravy.
    • Ginger Garlic Paste - You can freeze ginger garlic paste to save time while cooking like these gravy dishes.
    • Spice powders - We use ground spice powders like Red Chilli Powder, Coriander Powder and Turmeric Powder.

    Instructions

    Since this gravy needs the de-skinned beans, we have to be prepared and planned with the beans ready.

    How to make Pithiki pappu kura 1

    For the Pithiki Pappu

    Wash and soak the Annumulu in water overnight or for at least 10 hours.
    Press out the outer skin and remove the bean inside.
    Drain well until you make the gravy.

    How to make Pithiki pappu kura 2

    For the Coconut Paste to use Pithiki pappu kura

    Make a paste of peoppy seeds, fennel seeds with coconut.

    How to make Hyacinth Bean Curry

    For the Gravy ~ Pithiki pappu kura

    Heat cooking oil in a cooker, add seasoning, then sauté onions along with curry leaves till brown.
    Add ginger garlic paste and saute well.
    Now add the cubed potatoes and saute well. Add the tomato puree and mix well.
    Add all the spice powders and let it cook well.
    Next, all the pealed beans to the pan and saute well.
    After 5 mins, add coconut paste and water. Cover with lid and pressure for 1 to 2 whistles or till the beans cooks well.
    I normally use potatoes if I want to make extra gravy.

    How to make Hyacinth Bean Curry

    The beans for this Pithiki pappu kura cooks very quickly, so it's best to cook on low flame.
    Finally, garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
    Serve this gravy with dosas.

    Substitutions & Variations

    You can just opt to make this Pithiki pappu kura with the beans alone or with potatoes. Instead of coconut paste, you can use coconut milk if you have. Sometimes, I have the ground powders, so use milk and the ground powders. Makes life and cooking this very easy.

    How to Store deskinned Hyacinth Bean

    We only get fresh beans during winter. So we have frozen the beans for few months. Most times, on thawing the beans stay good, though there have been cases when the beans got spoilt. So it depends on the beans and freshness.

    Cooked gravy stays good overnight or for a day when refrigerated. Always bring to room temperature and heat the gravy before serving.

    Other Recipes with Hyacinth Beans

    • Hyacinth Bean Salad
    • Avarekalu Akki Rotti
    • Anumulu Vankaya Mamidikaya pulusu
    • Hyacinth Bean, Brinjal Mango Curry

    Recipe

    Pithiki Pappu Kura
    Print Pin
    5 from 3 votes

    Pithiki pappu kura ~ Hyacinth Bean Curry

    Pithiki Pappu Kura or Hyacinth Bean Curry is a traditional Andhra gravy with Hyacinth Bean or Annumulu, mostly made during the winter season. It is a sinful dish tastes great with dosa.
    Course Main Dish - Gravies
    Cuisine Andhra Pradesh
    Keyword Side dish for Tiffin
    By Cook Method Pressure Cooker
    Occasion Everyday Meal
    By Diet Healthy Recipes
    Dish Type Gravy Side Dishes
    Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes minutes
    Soaking time 10 hours hours
    Total Time 10 hours hours 35 minutes minutes
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 237kcal
    Author Srivalli

    Ingredients

    For the Coconut Paste

    • 1/4 cup Coconut
    • 2 teaspoons Poppy Seeds Gasa Gasa
    • 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds

    For the Gravy

    • 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
    • 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
    • 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
    • A Sprig Curry Leaves
    • 2 cups Hyacinth Bean / Annumulu / Anapaginjalu / Avarai
    • 2 Potatoes optional
    • 2 cups Onions finely chopped
    • 2 cups Tomato Puree
    • 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
    • 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
    • A Pinch Turmeric Powder
    • Salt to taste

    Instructions

    For the Pithiki Pappu

    • Wash and soak the Annumulu in water overnight or for at least 10 hours.
    • Press out the outer skin and remove the bean inside.
    • Drain well until you make the gravy.

    For the Coconut Paste

    • Make a paste of poppy seeds, fennel seeds with coconut.

    For the Gravy

    • Heat cooking oil in a cooker, add seasoning, then sauté onions along with curry leaves till brown.
    • Add ginger garlic paste and saute well.
    • Now add the cubed potatoes and saute well. Add the tomato puree and mix well.
    • Add all the spice powders and let it cook well.
    • Next, all the pealed beans to the pan and saute well.
    • After 5 mins, add coconut paste and water. Cover with lid and pressure for 1 to 2 whistles or till it's cooked.
    • I normally use potatoes if I want to make extra gravy.
    • The beans get cooked very quickly, so mostly this gets cooked while cooking on low flame.
    • Finally, garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
    • Serve this gravy with dosas.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 1140mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 552IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 5mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cooking4all or tag #cooking4all!

    PIN This for Later!

    How to make Pithiki Pappu Kura

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Prajusha says

      August 09, 2007 at 2:34 pm

      sri,
      so iam the first to comment on this:)
      the gravy looks good for dosa. we call this as amarakka in malyalam .thanks for sharing it.

      Reply
    2. Saju says

      August 09, 2007 at 3:33 pm

      I have never tried this bean. Next time I am in an Indian shop, I am going to look for it. You have recruited me.

      Reply
    3. Asha says

      August 09, 2007 at 4:52 pm

      Avarekalu in Kannada ,also called Field beans in India.I love those,I have one too at FH.You can never have enough of ths beans.Yummy.In K'taka,we have a dish like this when you soak,take the peel off and split the beans.Thanks for osting this Sri,looks yummy:)

      Reply
    4. Sharmi says

      August 09, 2007 at 5:48 pm

      Nice looking kura, hmm I learnt some names here:)

      Reply
    5. Latha says

      August 09, 2007 at 6:05 pm

      Hey Srivalli,
      Wow I'm so excited to see someone blog about Pithika Pappu. Its one of our favorites at home too. In Kannada it is called Avarekaalu. We make pithika pappu chaaru (same kura u made) and u're right it tastes great with dosa. We also love it with puri and rice.

      Reply
    6. Padma says

      August 09, 2007 at 6:12 pm

      This is absolutely new to me, never heard/tried/tasted. Wish if you could post the picture of those raw beans. Curious to know how they look and as always nice post n authentic recipe from your Amma and your build-up has already builded a curiosity on this pappu kura @_@

      Reply
    7. Prema Sundar says

      August 09, 2007 at 6:44 pm

      Is it the mochchai bean??? do u have the pic of the bean. sounds easy to cook. Iam tired of making chutneys and sambars for dosa and this sure would be different.

      Reply
    8. Lakshmi says

      August 10, 2007 at 2:04 am

      I make this Kura and now in India it is season for hyacinth beans, I heard. I love it with dosa, well feeling its aroma virtually...........

      Reply
    9. Cynthia says

      August 09, 2007 at 9:06 pm

      What is Annumulu?

      Reply
    10. bee says

      August 09, 2007 at 11:21 pm

      sri, in maharashtra they often sprout it. it's yummy sprouted too.

      Reply
    11. Roopa says

      August 10, 2007 at 1:31 am

      looks delicious!i love this with chapatis too 🙂

      Reply
    12. archana says

      August 10, 2007 at 3:42 am

      Liked the curry masala, it is something like kurma 🙂

      Reply
    13. bhags says

      August 10, 2007 at 5:11 am

      Sri, the gravy look great with dosa....i never have had anything like this before

      Reply
    14. Srivalli says

      August 10, 2007 at 6:18 am

      Glad you stopped by Prajusha ...I am learning the name in all languages I guess...

      Saju...glad I did...:)...pls do try this ...sure will be yummy

      Asha...I think most names are common in Telugu and kannada...will check out your recipe too...

      me too Sharmi..thanks for the comments..

      Thanks for stopping by...Latha...will try your recipe next time...

      Then you must try it out Padma...this is the simple val...forgot to include this in the post...

      You are right Prema...this is a sure variety to try..

      Annumlu is Hyacinth bean or Val in Hindi...will give you the link to see how this looks...Cynthia

      Will sprout this next time and cook bee..thanks for the tip...

      It should be good Roopa

      Thanks Lakshmi

      Yeah its more like kurma archana..

      Reply
    15. SeeC says

      August 10, 2007 at 11:18 am

      I make just curries with this. Pappu kura looks yummy. So this can be had with dosa too...imm good.

      Reply
    16. Rajani says

      August 10, 2007 at 3:51 pm

      Hi Srivalli,
      It would be very nice if u post the picture of the beans. So that I can recognize easily. Sounds interesting. Very interesting recipes I am learning from u. Thanks for all your efforts.

      cheers
      rajani

      Reply
    17. Anonymous says

      August 10, 2007 at 8:54 pm

      hi srivalli,
      it's my hubby's favorite, we too prepare this dish, exactly the same way.
      looks good valli.

      lakshmi

      Reply
    18. Srivalli says

      August 11, 2007 at 5:39 am

      SeeC..thanks for the comments

      Rajani ..thanks for the appreciation..this is the chikkudu seeds or annumulu as we call it..refer the url for Val for more details...http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/ejones/ufdi/topics/dalrec/ddef.html

      ...thanks lakshmi, good to know you also prepare it the same way...

      Reply
    19. Pelicano says

      November 08, 2007 at 5:01 pm

      Oh total yum! I can see how you would have a fan club for this- will add the link to my post and also try it soon.

      Reply
    20. Cheryl says

      October 16, 2010 at 6:42 pm

      Does anyone know why you have to peel the bean? That's a lot of work/time! The skin of the bean looks thick, but it is not tough to chew. I've found websites that say that the hyacinth bean is poisonous, so maybe the skin of the bean is toxic?

      Reply
    21. Srivalli says

      October 17, 2010 at 2:32 am

      Cheryl, Cooking the peeled bean is just one of the methods to prepare this beans. We also make dishes with the skin also. But the peeled beans tasted awesome. So we don't mind the hard work. Also we normally soak the beans in water overnight or for about 6 hrs, which will make the peeling a bit easier.

      But I don't think the skin is toxic as we do eat it along with it also.

      Reply
    22. Anonymous says

      January 18, 2011 at 5:26 am

      hi srivalli..
      what u wrote was not the exact pithiki pappu....
      the preparation for this is sooo hard and it will take lot of time...
      first of all we have to soak all beans and remove the peel of ecah and every bean.. to make pithiki pappu..w hich will be awesome in plain dosa....

      Reply
    23. Srivalli says

      January 18, 2011 at 5:42 am

      Anon, Guess you should read the post more properly I have mentioned clerly that these beans have to be soaked overnight and then peeled. It is best served with Dosas. Thanks for stopping.

      Reply
    24. Anonymous says

      June 25, 2011 at 1:58 pm

      Anumulu is mochakota in tamil...the posts are super..

      Reply
    25. srividhya says

      December 01, 2022 at 6:33 am

      5 stars
      This hyacinth beans has so many names Valli. I had the same issue when posting avarekalu huli saaru. Back to this recipe, this sounds delicious. I always carry frozen ones, will definitely give it a try.

      Reply
    26. Rafeeda - The Big Sweet Tooth says

      December 19, 2022 at 10:52 pm

      5 stars
      I have to make a list of all the beans you are cooking with and buy them to just try them... Hehe... This curry would be yum with jeera rice...

      Reply

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    srivalli

    Hi! Seasons change, yet there are some timeless recipes you can enjoy anytime. If you are sport for it, you are in the right place!

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