Italian flat beans are a form of bean with broad and flattened pods, they ressembles lik green beans but they are larger and flatter than green beans, like other beans italian beans come in two forms, the first green bean form is eaten whole, pod and all, the green beans form will be crispy, crunchy with a mild beany flavour, overcooked itlian flat beans will get mushy and dull in flavour, the second form is the dried one, italian beans are allowed to mature on the vine, so that the pods can be split to reveal dried beans, the beans are sometimes called as Romanao beans and they have high nutritional value, which require a long cooking time...I usually buy fresh italian flat beans at farmer's market, this time i want to prepare as paruppu usili with these flat italian beans, they turned out marvellous and we loved it much..Can try paruppu usili with cabbage, cluster beans, french beans, carrots etc...protein packed healthy side dish goes prefectly with rice dishes...
2cups Italian flat beans (chopped)
1no Onion (chopped)
1/4tsp Mustard seeds+Urad dal
2nos Green chillies(slit opened)
3nos Curry leaves
2tbsp Grated coconut
Salt
Oil
For Usili:1cup Channa dal + toor dal
2nos Red chillies
1no Green chillies
1pinch Asafoetida powder
1tsp Ginger (chopped)
Soak the dals for 2 hours, drain the dals well and take the dals with green chillies an read chillies with salt, asafoetida powder in a mixer, grind them coarsely, add the ginger to the paste...dont grind them as smooth paste, in a steamer without whistle, steam the grounded mixture from about 10 minutes, once cooled , crumble it well with your hands..
Heat enough oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds, urad dal..let them crack, add the chopped onion and slit opened green chillies and curry leaves, saute until the onion turns transculant, add the chopped italian flat beans, saute for few minutes in simmer with enough salt until the beans get cooked (italian beans get easily cooked if they are cooked in simmer with lid closed), add the scrambled dal to the cooked italian beans and cook everything in medium high flame for 5 minutes, finally add the grated coconut and toss gently..
Serve hotas side dish for any rice dishes!!