Deshi Shim or Hyacinth Bean (Lablab purpureus) is very popular winter vegetable in Bangladesh. I don’t know where the name Hyacinth comes from but I guess the flowers of hyacinth bean looks like hyacinth flower- may be. The bean itself looks like half moon, dark green in colour with deep purple edges. It has a very different and stronger taste than any other beans likes long beans or faba beans. We typically eat the green pods and when the seeds get mature, we eat the seeds like vegetables too.

Today I am sharing the classic Bangladeshi shim bhorrta (bean spread) and for this we need the beans of course, chili (both dry red chili and green chili), onion, garlic, salt, mustard oil and green coriander leaves. If you don’t like coriander you can skip it.

First thing first, we need to remove the hard string like fiber of off the bean pods. To do this, I slit the top with a knife, not all the way down and then pull the strings. It is important to remove this stringy fiber from both edges of the bean pods, as this part does not get cooked and does not taste good either.

Then we need to cut the beans into small pieces and cook them with just enough water, so that the beans get cooked and water get soaked in completely. I have covered the pot with lids and let the beans get cooked in low temperature.

As you can see in the picture, the beans got cooked and water dried up too. The way you can be sure that if they are cooked is to check with wooden spoon and smash them. If the beans feels soft and get smashed easily that means the beans are cooked. I set the cooked beans aside and let them cool down.

While beans are getting cool, I dry roasted the chilies in a pan without oil until they changed color and got crispy. Then in the same pan, I added some oil, and sauteed sliced onions, garlic, green chilies until they are caramelized. When done, I set them aside and let them cool down too.

Now its time to blend everything. I put the cooked beans and caramelized onion, garlic and chilies in the blender and blended them until they smooth paste.

So the super easy bean spread is ready to eat. We usually eat with rice but you can dip it with breads too and eat like a hummus!

Recipe: Hyacinth Beans spread – few servings Prepping and cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients: 200g Hyacinth Beans Spice and Condiments: 1 medium red/white Onion 1/4 tbs fine Salt 20ml Bangladeshi Mustard Oil Dried Chili – as desired Green Chili – as desired Garlic – 4 big fat cloves

Instruction: 1. Wash the bean pods and take out the stringy fiber thingy. Cut into small pieces and cook them with just enough water in low temperature. 2. Toast dried red chili without oil and set them aside. Warm some mustard oil in the same fry-pan, fry garlic first until golden in color. Then add onion chunks and green chili and fry until caramelized. Set them aside until cooled down. 3. In a grinder/blender, grind cooled down cooked beans and dried chili, fried onion, garlic and chili, salt and blend again until smooth paste. Add mustard oil too. Serve with rice or make a sandwich filling with the Bean spread.