Use of Winged Bean in the Sri Lankan Diet
Traditionally the people of Sri Lanka consume vegetable cooked as curries with the dietary staple, rice. Legumes, in general, play a vital role in Sri Lankan diets and they are being consumed as green vegetables or pulses. Edible legumes are excellent sources of dietary protein and oil. Nutritionists expect them to play an important role in meeting food needs, particularly proteins, at this period of food shortages and widespread prevalence of malnutrition. Immature pods of winged bean and to a lesser extent tender leaves and flowers are consumed by Sri Lankans as a vegetable. The potentials of the mature seed as a cheap source of protein and oil has not been exploited fully as yet for which research efforts must be directed.
The ambient temperature, rainfall and humid conditions in Sri Lanka are favorable for the cultivation of winged bean. By virtue of the fact that immature pods, seeds, tuberous roots, leaves and flowers are all edible and rich in protein, it is desirable for every one to grow this wonder plant as a backyard crop until a form of winged bean plant is breed suitable for large scale cultivation.
Nutritional Content
The tables given below show the nutritional composition and levels of amino acids and fatty acids in winged beans.
Table 1. The approximate composition of different parts of the winged bean. |
|||||
Nutrient |
Immature pods |
Seeds |
Tubers |
Leaves |
Flowers |
---------- % ---------- |
|||||
Water |
76-92 |
7-25 |
55-65 |
64-78 |
84 |
Protein |
2-3 |
29-37 |
12-15 |
6-15 |
5.5 |
Fat |
0.2-0.3 |
15-20 |
0.5-1.1 |
0.7-1.1 |
0.9 |
Carbohydrate |
3.1-3.8 |
3.6-28 |
27 |
|
|
Fibre |
1.2-2.6 |
5-12.5 |
17 |
|
|
Ash |
0.5-2 |
3.5-4 |
1 |
|
|
Table 2. Amino acid composition of protein of winged bean and soybean. |
||
Amino Acid |
Winged Bean |
Soybean |
----- % ----- |
||
Cystine |
1.6-2.6 |
1.2 |
Lysine |
7.4-8.0 |
6.6 |
Histidine |
2.7 |
2.5 |
Arginine |
6.5-6.6 |
7.0 |
Aspartic Acid |
11.5-12.5 |
8.3 |
Threonine |
4.3-4.5 |
3.9 |
Serine |
4.9-5.2 |
5.6 |
Glutamic Acid |
15.3-15.6 |
18.5 |
Proline |
6.9-7.6 |
5.4 |
Glycine |
4.6 |
3.8 |
Alanine |
4.3 |
4.5 |
Valine |
4.9-5.7 |
5.2 |
Methionine |
1.2 |
1.1 |
Isoleucine |
4.9-5.1 |
5.8 |
Leucin |
8.6-9.2 |
7.6 |
Tyrosine |
3.2 |
3.2 |
Phenylalanine |
4.8-5.8 |
4.8 |
Table 3. Fatty acid composition of seed of winged bean and soybean. |
||
Fatty Acid |
Winged Bean |
Soybean |
% by weight |
||
14:0 Myristic |
0.06 |
- |
16:0 Palmitic |
8.9-9.7 |
11.0 |
16:1 Palmitoleic |
0.83 |
- |
18:0 Stearic |
5.7 |
4.0 |
18:1 Oleic |
32.3-39.0 |
25.0 |
18:2 Lirioleic |
27.2-27.8 |
50.0 |
18:3 Linolenic |
1.1-2.0 |
- |
18:4 Parinaricc |
2.5 |
- |
20:0 Arachidic |
2.0 |
0.4 |
22:0 Behenic |
13.4-15.5 |
0.3 |
Winged Bean Recipes
The recipes given below show the varied uses of pods, leaves, flowers, mature seeds and tubers of winged bean in Sri Lanka diets.
In the recipes below T and tsp. refer to the following:
T. = tablespoon
tsp. = teaspoon
lb. = pound
Winged Bean Leaf Curry
Ingredients:
1 handful of tender leaves
2 T. thick coconut milk
2 green chilies sliced
6 red onions sliced
pinch of turmeric
salt to taste
Method: Cut the leaves, mix with all the ingredients and cook for 5 minutes.
Winged bean leaf mallun
Ingredients:
1 handful winged bean leaves
2 T. scraped coconut
3 red onions sliced
1 spring curry leaf
1 T. oil
¼ tsp. turmeric
salt to taste
Method:
- Wash and shred the leaves. Mix together shredded leaves, coconut, green chilies, turmeric and salt, leave aside.
- Heat the oil and sauté curry leaves and onion.
- Add the leaves, stir well.
- Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Add lime juice if preferred.
Winged bean fried leaves
Ingredients:
1 handful winged bean leaves
1 leek - shredded
½ tsp. chili powder
2 T. oil
¼ tsp. turmeric
salt to taste
(Flavor can be improved by adding tomato)
Method:
- Mix all ingredients except oil.
- Cook in a covered pan till moisture evaporates.
- Add oil and cook for a few minutes.
Pod mallun
Ingredients:
10 winged bean pods - shredded
1 T. sliced onion
1 T. green chilies chopped
2 T. scraped coconut
1 T. oil
1 spring curry leaves
¼ tsp. turmeric
¼ cup water
Method:
- Mix together shredded Winged Bean, green chilie, coconut, turmeric, salt and water.
- Heat oil and sauté curry leaves, onion.
- Add Winged Bean mixture and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
Fried winged bean (pods)
Ingredients:
¼ lb. pods - sliced
1 T. sliced onion
1 tsp. chilie powder
¼ tsp. turmeric
1 sprig curry leaves
1 piece rumpe (pandan)*
¼ cup water
1 T. oil
salt
Method:
- Add all ingredients except oil.
- Cook in a covered pan until tender and dry.
- Add oil and cook for 5 minutes.
Fried curry (pods)
Ingredients:
¼ lb. sliced pods
1 T. sliced onion
1 T. green chilies shopped
1 tsp. curry powder
¼ cup thin coconut milk
½ cup thick coconut milk
1 T. oil
¼ tsp. mustard seed
¼ tsp. turmeric
curry leaves and rumpe (pandan)
salt
Method:
- Heat oil and sauté mustard seed, curry leaves, rumpe (pandan)* and onion.
- Add Winged Bean and the rest of the ingredients except the thick milk.
- Cover the pan and cook till tender.
- Add thick milk, simmer for 5 minutes and remove from heat.
Mixed curry (pods)
Ingredients:
winged bean pods sliced
1 potato diced
1 tomato
1 T. chopped onion
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. curry powder
¼ tsp. turmeric powder
½ tsp. mustard, ground
curry leaves, rumpe (pandan)*
1" piece cinnamon stick
½ cup thin coconut milk
½ cup thick coconut milk
salt
Method:
- Mix all ingredients except thick coconut milk.
- Cook in a covered pan till winged bean and potatoes are cooked.
- Add thick milk, simmer for 5 minutes.
Pickled (pods)
Ingredients:
20 pods 1 tsp. pepper
1 carrot 1 T. mustard
10 beans 2 T. pieces ginger
15 green chilies 1 T. garlic cloves
large red onion salt
1 cup vinegar ¼ tsp. turmeric
1 T. chili powder
Method:
- Grind garlic, ginger, mustard & pepper with a little vinegar.
- Quarter winged bean pods lengthwise & cut into 1" pieces.
- Halve beans lengthwise and cut into 1" pieces.
- Cut carrot into 1" pieces.
- Split green chilies.
- Mix sugar, chili powder, salt and ground ingredients with vinegar.
- Bring to a boil.
- Add winged beans, green chilies and cook for two minutes.
- Take off the fire, add carrots and onion, mix thoroughly.
- Bottle when cool.
Fried seeds
Ingredients:
1 cup seeds
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
Method:
- Soak seeds 4 to 5 hours, in cold water
- Blanch 10 minutes.
- Spread on a cloth to dry.
- Deep fry & add salt & chili powder.
Winged bean waddai
Ingredients:
1 cup boiled seeds (dehulled)
1 T. chopped onion
½ T. chopped green chilies
½ tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. flour (wheat)
1 sprig curry leaves
1 piece green ginger chopped
salt
oil for frying
Method:
- Boil the soaked seeds and crush.
- Add all ingredients & mix well.
- Form into balls & flatten slightly.
- Deep fry.
Cutlets
Ingredients:
1 cup soaked & boiled seeds (dehulled)
1 potato
2 T. onion
6 green chilies chopped
½ tsp. pepper
juice of 1 lime
curry leaves chopped
1" piece ginger chopped
2 T. flour
1/3 cup cold water
2 T. bread crumbs
oil for frying
Method:
- Fry & crush the seeds.
- Mash the boiled potato. Mix the two together.
- Add salt, pepper & lime juice.
- Heat 1 T. oil & sauté curry leaves onion ginger & green chili.
- Add Winged Bean potato mixture & cook for 2 minutes - form into any shape.
- Make a batter with flour & water.
- Dip cutlets in batter - coat with breadcrumbs.
- Deep fry and serve.
Tempered seeds
Ingredients:
1 cup seeds
½ cup boiling water
2 medium sized tomatoes
4 red onions sliced
½ piece ginger, chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
1 piece cinnamon
1 tsp. turmeric powder
rumpe (pandan)* and curry leaves
1 T. oil or margarine
salt
Method:
- Soak & boil the seeds, dehull.
- Heat 1 T. oil and sauté curry leaves.
- Add processed seed & sauté for a few minutes.
- Add chili powder, salt, turmeric & ½ cup boiling water.
- Simmer for 5 minutes and stake off the fire.
Seed curry
Ingredients:
1 cup soaked and boiled seeds (dehulled)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. curry powder
1 T. sliced onions
1 cup boiling water
2 green chilies chopped
curry leaves & rumpe (pandan)*
salt, turmeric powder
½ cup thick coconut milk
1 T. oil
Method:
- Crush the boiled seeds & fry in oil.
- Add all the ingredients except coconut milk.
- Cook for 15 minutes.
- Add ½ cup thick coconut milk.
- Simmer for 5 minutes and remove from heat.
Flower Fritters
Ingredients:
25 winged bean flowers - opened
1 T. wheat flour
½ tsp. pepper
3 T. water
¼ tsp. turmeric powder
Salt
oil for frying
Method:
- Make a batter with flour & water.
- Add pepper, salt & turmeric powder.
- Dip flowers one by one in batter.
Flower omlette
Ingredients:
1 handful winged bean flowers chopped
1 egg
6 red onions sliced
1 T. milk
1 tsp. flour
1 sprig curry leaves chopped
¼ tsp. pepper
1 T. oil or margarine
salt
3 green chilies sliced
Method:
- Beat the egg.
- Add curry leaves, onion, green chilies, pepper & salt.
- Mix together flour & milk & add shredded winged bean flowers.
- Mix all together.
- Heat oil in a flat pan & pour in the mixture.
- Let it fry & turn over & take off the fire when completely done.
Cake
Ingredients:
Butter cake mixture
use ¼ winged bean flour seed or tuber flour
3/4 wheat flour
KENDA
Ingredients:
½ cup rice flour
handful winged bean leaves
1 T. grated coconut
3 cups water
salt
Method:
- Mix rice flour & cold water.
- Cook over the fire stirring all the time.
- Grind grated coconut & leaves very finely.
- Add this to the rice porridge.
- Add salt & cook for 2 minutes.
- Serve hot
*- rumpe is the herb pandan (pandanus amaryllifolius)