Simba Rai(Besara)/Broad beans cooked in mustard gravy

A popular Odia delicacy

Besara /Rai is nothing but a simple mustard paste with some chilli (dry/ fresh green) with some garlic .For variation we can also use some onion with it .Mustard play a very important rool when we talk about Odia cuisine . Most of the Odia recipe require mustard oil , mustard paste, mustard seed & pancha phutana/ panch phoron (a combination of fenugreek seed, nigella seed, cumin seed, mustard seed and fennel seed ) There are many recipe which requirs mustard paste. There are also many stire- fry recipe which require mustard paste . When making any recipe using mustard paste we need to use right proportion of it ,otherwise the taste may bitter .Using of right amount og mustard paste makes the dish super delicious .The unique pungent flavour of besara can make the dish super delicious or ruin the entire dish if not used properly. Today I am going to share with you a recipe of broad bean (simba) cooked with mustard paste .If you will visit to any village of Odisha 2~3 kind of creeper plant you will definitely found . Simba(broad beans) , bitter gourd/kalara/karela , pumpkin are mostly found .When I was a kid we too had these creeper plant at our backyard & I pluck them with my mother .

Preparation Time: 10~15 min

Cooking Time: 15 min

Total time: 30 min

Ingredients

• Simba /broad beans - 200~250 grm

• Potato - 1 large

• Tomato choped - 1 medium~large

• Biri badi/Urad dal vadi - 8~10

• Onion - 1 small~medium

• Garlic - 3~4 large

• Mustard seed - 1 tbsp

• Cumin seed - 1/2 tsp or a bit more

• Panch phoron/Pancha phutana - 1/2 tsp

• Turmeric powder - 1/4~1/2 tsp

• Red chilli powder as per taste

• Salt to taste

• Mustard oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure

Step 1

Wash all vegetable properly .

Destring the beans by cutting both end & pull down the string gently .

Remove the string .

Step 2

Cut the broad beans in to half

Cut the potato length wise & keep every thing ready

Step 3

Heat 1 tsp of mustard oil in a pan/ kadai .

Roast the vadi/badi till slightly golden & keep it aside .

Step 4

In the same kadai add 1~1.5 tbsp of oil & add panch phoron .Let it crackle .

Step 5

Add choped beans, potato & tomato .Mix well

Add salt ,turmeric powder & red chilli powder .

Mix well .

Cover it & cook for 3~4 minute on low flame .

Step 6

Make a fine paste of onion,garlic,mustard seed & cumin seed with some water .Here I have used yellow mustard seed which is slightly less pungent .

Step 6

Add the mustard paste & mix well .

In the same blender jar add some water & pour it .

Mix everything well .

Step 7

Add the fried badi & mix well .

Step 8

Cover it & cook on low flame till potato & broad beans cooked properly .

The gravy should not be too much liquidy .

Now simba besara is ready to be served .Garnish with some coriander leaf & serve with some hot steam rice .

Enjoy !

Nutritional Information per katori/150 gm :

Energy : 68 calories

Protein : 3.1 gm

Fat : 3.2 gm

Carbohydrates : 6.6 gm

Fiber : 5.0 gm

If you like the recipe, please share with family & friends.