Barbati ki Sabji is a simple dry preparation or sabzi made with yardlong beans, spices, coconut and chana dal. Pair as a healthy side dish with roti, paratha or your Indian meals.
First rinse chana dal in water for a few times and then soak them in ⅓ cup hot for 30 minutes. Later drain the water and keep the soaked chana dal aside.
Either you can rinse the beans and then chop or chop them first and then rinse. Whichever suits you. To avoid the water soluble nutrients getting rinsed in water, I first rinse the beans and then chop.
Slice off the top and bottom part and chop the beans in small pieces.
Making barbati ki sabji
Heat oil in a shallow frying pan. Lower the heat and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
Then add chopped onions and green chillies together with curry leaves.
Saute the onions on a low or medium heat till they turn translucent and are softened.
Add turmeric powder and asafetida, when the onions become translucent.
Stir quickly and then add the chopped long beans and the chana dal.
Season with salt.
Add 1 cup water. Mix very well.
Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and simmer the long beans on a low to medium heat till they are softened.
Do check the sabji or bhaji at intervals to see if the beans are cooked or not and if the water has dried up. If the water has dried up and the beans or chana dal are yet to cook, then add some more water.
When the long beans and chana dal are cooked well, softened and the water has dried up in the sabji, add fresh grated coconut. If there is any water then dry the sabzi completely, before adding coconut.
Mix very well and then add chopped coriander leaves. Stir and mix again.
Serve Barbati ki Sabji with chapati or as a side dish with dal-rice. This long beans sabji also goes very well as a side dish with sambar-rice or rasam-rice.
Notes
Remember to use fresh, young and tender long beans.
Swap fresh coconut with unsweetened desiccated coconut.
Omit adding chana dal if you do not prefer adding the lentils in the sabji.
Easily scale the recipe to make for less or more servings.