Gawar Bhaji | Gawar ki Sabzi | Cluster Beans Recipe
Gawar bhaji recipe with step by step photos – A simple healthy recipe of gawar sabzi or a dry curry made from cluster beans, onions, tomatoes and a few spices. It makes for a comforting and tasty meal when served with a side of chapati, raita and pickle.
I have been making this gawar bhaji for quite some years now, after learning it from my mom. I make the sabzi as a side dish to go with chapatis or a dal-rice combo. The sabzi is not too much spiced and thus the flavors of cluster beans come through very well in this recipe.
This is a very simple recipe. The only time taking part will be chopping the cluster beans. Once the chopping is done, the rest of the method is easy. The gavar bhaji can also be packed in tiffin box with some chapatis or plain paratha.
You can serve gawar ki sabzi as a side dish with dal rice combo or with curd or some raita.
How to make gawar bhaji or cluster beans recipe
1. Rinse 250 grams cluster beans (gavar) very well in fresh water. Use tender beans.
2. Then take each bean and discard the top and bottom ends. Then club some beans together and chop them into small pieces on a chopping board.
Clubbing the beans and chopping them makes this task go easier and faster. Keep them aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a shallow frying pan or a shallow kadai. Add ½ cup chopped onions. You can use any neutral flavored oil.
4. Stir the onions and then add 1 green chili (chopped).
5. Saute till the onions turn translucent stirring often on low to medium heat. Then add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and a pinch of asafoetida (hing).
6. Mix the turmeric powder and asafoetida (hing) with the onions.
7. Now add ⅓ cup of chopped tomatoes.
8. Stir and saute the tomatoes. Stir at intervals.
9. Saute till the tomatoes soften a bit on low to medium heat.
10. Then add the chopped cluster beans. Stir and mix well.
11. Season with salt as required. Stir and mix again everything very well.
Cooking gawar sabzi
12. Cover the pan with a rimmed lid. Pour water on the lid. The water in the lid, creates steam in the pan and helps in cooking the cluster beans. Cook the beans on sim or a low heat.
Alternatively you can add some water (about ¼ to ⅓ cup) in the pan. Cover with a lid and then cook. If the water dries up whilst cooking and the cluster beans are not cooked, then you can add some more water, in case the water dries.
13. Do check the cluster beans after every 8 to 9 minutes, by carefully removing the lid. In case the water dries on the lid, then add some more water and continue to cook the beans.
If you see the beans getting browned, then sprinkle some water in the pan. Usually the beans do not get browned. But depending on the type and quality of pan, the beans can get browned.
14. Once the beans have cooked well and become tender, switch off the heat. If there is a lot of water or moisture in the pan, then continue to cook the beans without a lid, till all the water has evaporated.
Remember the final preparation is a dry sabji and has no liquids or water.
15. Lastly add 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves. Stir and mix well.
16. Serve gavar bhaji hot or warm with chapatis or paratha or as a side veggie dish with dal-rice.
You can also pack it in a tiffin box with chapati or paratha.
If you are looking for more Veggie recipes then do check:
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
- 250 grams cluster beans (gavar or gawar)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 90 grams onions or 1 large onion or ½ cup chopped onions
- 50 grams tomato or 1 small to medium tomato or ⅓ cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 green chili, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- salt as required
- 1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves, chopped
Instructions
Preparation for gawar ki sabzi
- Rinse cluster beans/gavar very well in water.
- Then take each bean and discard the top and bottom ends. Then club some beans together and chop them in small pieces. Clubbing the beans and chopping them makes this task go easier and faster. Keep aside.
Making gawar ki sabzi
- Heat oil in a shallow frying pan or a shallow kadai. Add chopped onion.
- Stir the onions and then add 1 green chili (chopped).
- Saute stirring often till the onions turn translucent and then add turmeric powder and a pinch of asafoetida (hing).
- Mix the turmeric powder and asafoetida with the onions.
- Now add chopped tomatoes.
- Stir and saute the tomatoes, till they soften a bit.
- Then add the chopped cluster beans. Stir and mix well.
- Season with salt as needed. Mix again everything very well.
Cooking gavar sabzi
- Cover the pan with a rimmed lid. Pour water on the lid. The water in the lid, creates steam in the pan and helps in cooking the cluster beans. Cook the beans on sim or a low flame.
- Alternatively you can add some water (about ¼ to ⅓ cup) in the pan. Cover with a lid and then cook. If the water dries up whilst cooking and the beans are not cooked, then you can add some more water, in case the water dries.
- Do check the beans after every 8 to 9 minutes, by carefully removing the lid. In case the water dries on the lid, then add some more water and continue to cook the beans.
- If you see the beans getting browned, then sprinkle some water in the pan. Usually the beans do not get browned. But depending on the type and quality of pan, the beans can get browned.
- Once the beans have cooked well and become tender, switch off the heat. If there is a lot of water or moisture in the pan, then continue to cook the beans without a lid, till all the water has evaporated.
- Lastly add chopped coriander leaves. Stir and mix well.
- Serve gavar bhaji hot or warm with chapatis or as a side veggie dish with dal-rice.
Notes
- This recipe can be scaled as per your requirements.
- Use fresh, tender and green cluster beans. Make sure the beans are not matured.
- You can use any neutral-flavored oil.
Nutrition
This Gawar Bhaji post from the archives first published in August 2016 has been republished and updated on December 2022.
I tried this recipe and it turned out very good. But I added some freshly grated coconut towards the end, which gave a good taste to it. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Welcome Princy. Yes, freshly grated coconut will taste good.
I tried this recipe today, but it turned out to be bitter and thus ended up as a bad one.
What can be done in order to avoid it from being bitter??
chandni, gawar has a different taste. try using gawar which is tender, fresh and young. there is no other ingredient added in the recipe which can lead to bitterness. the amount of hing added is also very less. so the bitterness could be due to the type of gawar.
Adding carom seeds to tadka of cluster beans is also another great variation but I’m unsure that how will it match up with onion as I cook food of only satvik version
carom seeds will go well. you can also add hing in tadka.
adding 1table spoon of rosted peanut powder to cluster beans while cooking also tastes good.
Sometimes I also add soaked Moog daal…to cluster beans. This is a good variation.
thanks ajita for sharing these variations 🙂