GREEN BEANS OR PHALIA - HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES: HOW TO MAKE SALADE NICOISE

GREEN BEANS, PHALIA, PHALYION, PHASEOLUS VULGARIS

There are hundreds of varieties of green bean, and each one produces a large bean or seed if they are left to reach maturity. However we eat many of them fresh. The French bean, phaliyan in Urdu, produces the haricot bean when it is mature, and I once spent an hour or so extracting the small seeds from the dried pods on a rooftop in Lahore. The pods were discarded, but the little beans were delicious when cooked.

  Green beans originated in the Andes region of South America and also, probably in the Indian subcontinent. They were taken back to Europe by Columbus in 1493 and later by other Spanish and Portuguese explorers. The bean described by Virgil is now though to be the hyacinth bean, as the Romans could not have known about the green beans that are so common today. They are not as well liked it would seem in India and Pakistan, as the dried beans such as the moong bean are more common fare. As legumes they are related to peas and chick peas, and green beans are a good source of beta-carotene despite their green colour. The raw beans contain a toxalbumin, phasin which is destroyed in the cooking process, so they should not be eaten raw.

  They have been used in traditional medicine practices around the world to treat a variety of ailments including acne, diabetes, burns, dysentery and as a diuretic and are believed to help the kidneys to function normally. Legumes are richer in proteins than all other plants and so are a good source of protein for vegetarians. They are also the legume which is most commonly eaten.

  A study of the green beans grown in the Mediterranean region, published in 1988, traced these green beans ancestor to the Andes.

  Green beans contain phytonutrients which include lutein, violaxanthin, neoxanthin and beta-carotene, which have antioxidant properties. They also contain vitamins A, C, K and some of the B-complex vitamins, along with amino acids, bioflavonoids such as quercetin and kaempferol and the minerals manganese, potassium, iron, calcium, copper, selenium, zinc and phosphorous, along with Omega-3 fatty acids including alpha-linoleic acid (ALA). The antioxidant properties of green beans give them cholesterol and heart protective actions, and they are good for our overall health.

  The recipe below requires small fresh French beans, which just need to be snipped at both ends before cooking. Put them in salted water, bring to the boil and cook for about 15 minutes until they are tender but not too soft. They should still be a little crunchy.

 

SALADE NIÇOISE

Ingredients

8 oz cooked French beans, trimmed

4 hard-boiled eggs, halved

1 or 2 tins tuna fish, drained and flaked

1 tbsp capers

4 oz black olives

1 small tin of anchovies, each one snipped in half and washed to remove the saltiness

8 oz cooked potatoes, cubed

3-4 tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 small red onion, finely sliced (optional)

1 head lettuce, leaves separated but kept whole

Dressing

2 tbsps olive oil

1½ tbsps white wine vinegar

few sprigs of fresh oregano, or ½ tsp dried

Method

Place lettuce leaves in a bowl and in another combine all the other ingredients with freshly ground black pepper. (As anchovies are salty you probably won’t need extra salt.)

This has Taste and is a Treat.

 

WHAT IS CHOLIYA? FRESH GREEN CHICKPEAS: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USUS OF CHICK PEAS: SPICY POTATOES AND GREEN CHICKPEAS RECIPE

 CHICKPEAS, GARBANZO BEANS, CICER ARIETINUM

Most people have eaten chickpeas in falafel, hummus, or in salads from salad bars, but how many people have tasted the wonderful fresh green chickpea or choliya as it is called in Urdu? They are a delight and so satisfying to shell as the pods are rather like bubble wrap, so if you enjoy popping those bubbles, then you will adore shelling fresh green chickpeas. The pods are puffed up with air and give a delightful popping sound when squeezed, which is how you shell chickpeas. 

Here is Pakistan we buy them by the kilo which consists of stems and leaves, so you come home from the bazaar carrying a small bush. The leaves and roots are used in traditional medicine but they contain oxalic and malic acids (as do the pods) so are not generally eaten. The chickpea root is boiled and produces a milky substance, which is used as milk for babies and to stop diarrhoea. The leaves and root are also used to produce indigo dye which is used for cotton, silk and wool.

  The leaves are used in medicinal preparations to help bronchitis sufferers and the seeds (the little chickpeas) are used as tonics, stimulants and aphrodisiacs. They are also used in liver and spleen disorders. Eaten raw the little green chick peas quench thirst and stop burning sensations in the stomach and are used to get rid of internal parasites, although I think they are cooked to do this. The leaves are said to have abortifacient properties and are used to promote the menstrual flow, and for colds, coughs and pains.

  The leaves, roots and pods are also used to get rid of warts, to stop constipation, diarrhoea, sunstroke and cholera, so have a lot of traditional uses.

  The fresh chick peas are usually allowed to dry in the pod, giving us the dried chickpea we are accustomed to, the pale yellow ‘bean’ that looks like a hazelnut. Last year we were given some of these, along with the fresh ones (which are in the bazaar right now), and we left them to soak overnight in a metal pot. We were awakened during the night by a noise that sounded like popcorn spattering in a pan. On investigation we discovered it was the chickpeas popping as they expanded. We had to put them on the roof in a plastic pot (covered) so that we could get back to sleep.

Chickpeas were probably one of the first crops to be cultivated and we can trace their consumption back to more than 7,000 years ago. It is believed that they were being cultivated in Turkey well before that, but their origins are thought to be in the Middle East. From there they spread westward into the Mediterranean region (where they were cultivated by the ancient Greeks and Romans) and east into the Indian subcontinent and into Ethiopia. They are related to the garden pea and other legumes including clover, beans, lupin and peanuts and are in the Fabaceae family of plants. The Romans ground the dried chickpeas into flour and used them to make a kind of polenta (usually these days made with corn/maize flour in Italy). Roasted chick peas were combined with lupin seeds and sold on the streets in ancient Rome as snacks. Today Greeks and Pakistanis also eat them roasted with pumpkin seeds and other seeds as a healthy snack. Today they are still found on the streets and in packets in supermarkets.

  Culpeper called them “chick pease or cicers” in the 17^th century and said that they were good to stop flatulence and for semen production as well as to bring on the menstrual flow. (Cicero, the Roman orator, is believed to have got his name because one of his ancestors had a cicer mark on his face, possibly a mole that looked like a chick pea. Cicer was the Latin word for this legume and arietum means little ram)

  Fresh green chickpeas or choliya contain vitamins C, E, K and B-complex vitamins, folate, and the minerals magnesium, zinc, calcium, iron and pantothenic acid; they are rich in molybdenum The dried ones that we make falafel with also contain beta-carotene which the body converts to vitamin A, and phosphorous, potassium selenium and sodium as well as those listed above in fresh ones. They also contain amino acids including arginine (see watermelon) and the flavonoids including quercetin, kaempferol and myrcetin in their outer skins (especially in the black-skinned variety). The interior of the bean contains phenolic acids which include ferulic, chlorogenic, caffeic and vanillic acids and anthocyanins which help to reduce the risk of heart disease. 

Chickpeas have a unique combination of substances which give them powerful antioxidant qualities and they protest the blood vessel walls and keep the blood healthy as well as being good for the digestive system.

  Chick peas are high in dietary fibre and so help reduce the risk of colon cancer, and studies have suggested that they help control blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels and insulin secretion. The fibre in chickpeas remains undigested until it gets to the lower intestine and the colon and so helps those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, (IBS) and spastic colons.

  There are two types of dried chick peas, the ‘desi’ variety which has a light brown to black outer skin, which is quite thick, and has potent antioxidant properties, and the ‘kabuli’ type (from Kabul, Afghanistan) which we most commonly find in supermarkets.

  The recipe below is for green chickpeas although you can find others on this site for dried chickpeas.

SPICY POTATOES AND GREEN CHICKPEAS

Ingredients

2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cubed

150 gr shelled green chick peas, choliya

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 onion, chopped,

1 inch ginger root, peeled and sliced

4 garlic cloves

2 green chillies, chopped

pinch asafoetida (heng)

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp garam masala

½ tsp ground coriander seeds

1 tbsp oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

Grind the onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and chillies to a smooth paste.

Heat the oil and throw in the cumin seeds, and fry until they release their aroma.

Add the paste, all the spices and salt and pepper stir well and fry until the oil begins to separate.

Now add the fresh chickpeas, the cubed potatoes and 2 cups of water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 mins or until the potatoes and chick peas are tender.

If you need to, add a little more water to prevent the mixture burning and sticking to the pan.

Serve with plain rice or roti (chapattis) or naan.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

WHAT IS BAINGAN? AUBERGINE OR EGGPLANT - HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS: MELITZANA SALATA RECIPE

AUBERGINE, EGG PLANT, BRINJAL, BAINGAN, SOLANUM MELONGENA

The aubergines originated in the Indian subcontinent, Laos, Viet Nam, south west China, Northern Thailand and Myanmar. Wild aubergines plants can still be found in these areas. It began to be used in cookery as a vegetable in Asia by the year 3 AD. It is in fact a fruit, a berry to be exact in botanical terms, like the banana, tomato, chilli pepper and avocado. It is a member of the nightshade family like the potato and tomato, and was once viewed with suspicion because of this family connection as were the potato and the tomato. In the 16^th century it was known as the malus insana or apple of madness. The Italian word melanzana and the Greek melitzana are corruptions of this. In India it is called the king of vegetables, and used in all kinds of dishes including in pickles. It was documented in Sanskrit writings as early as 300 BC and the hypnotic and narcotic properties of the plant were described. In Ayurvedic medicine the white varieties of aubergines are and have been used for diabetes and the roots for asthma.

  Their English and French name, aubergines is believed to have come from a corruption of the Arabic word, al-badhinan or the Persian, badanjan or baadangan. The Urdu word for aubergines, baingan would also seem to have the same origins. They were mentioned in the “Atlas of Plants in Southern China” written during the Jin Dynasty in China (265-316 AD) which was a practical handbook of agriculture. They reached Japan around the 8^th century AD and Abu Ibn Sina (known in the West as Avicenna 980-1037) wrote about them. He advocated salting them and only using them when ripe and cooked for ear problems and treatment of excessive bile production. Otherwise they had a bad reputation and were thought to be the cause of many ailments.

Aubergine Flower

  By the 7th and 8^th centuries AD they had spread to Europe so were unknown to the ancient Greeks and Romans. In the Middle Ages they were thought to have aphrodisiac properties. They had been introduced into Africa sometime before their arrival in Europe and scarlet varieties are now grown there. In fact aubergines can be a variety of colours, ranging from white through to jade green and dark purple, and range in size and shape to mini aubergines smaller than okra through to large ones that we usually buy and they may be egg shaped or round or pear-shaped.

  In Southern India they are used to protect against chicken pox, so if a member of the family has the virus, others eat aubergines (cooked over a flame) with onions, chillies, salt and rice to prevent the disease. In Ayurvedic medicine they are cooked and mashed with garlic and asafoetida (heng) or devil’s dung, for flatulence and to get rid of congestion and phlegm.

White Aubergine

   Aubergines are rich in minerals and the purple skin contains many phenolic flavonoids such as anthocyanins which help fight against cancer, aging, inflammation and neurological diseases it is believed. They contain vitamins A, C, E and K, amino acids including arginine (tipped as the natural Viagra) and the minerals potassium, sodium, phosphorous, selenium, iron, copper, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and zinc. They also contain beta-carotene. Thus they have potent antioxidant properties. Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids are also present in them. They also contain a phytonutrients in their skin – nasunin an antioxidant which in lab animals has protected the lipids (fats) in brain cell membranes. Aubergines also contain the phenolic compound chlorogenic acid which scientists think may have anti-cancer, anti-microbial, anti-cholesterol and anti-viral properties. Juice from aubergines has been found in tests to reduce cholesterol in the arteries and the aorta and so may be able to reduce the risk of heart disease. However more tests are needed before this is proved.

  Below is a recipe for a Greek appetizer, an aubergines dip that is good served with crusty fresh bread. You can add grated carrots or tomatoes to this dish if you like.

MELITZANA SALATA

Ingredients

2 medium sized aubergines

4 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste

juice of 2 lemons

a few sprigs of parsley, chopped

a handful of coriander leaves, snipped

1 tbsp natural yoghurt

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 350˚F and prick each aubergines 4 or 5 times with a fork to prevent them exploding, and place them on a greased baking sheet. Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes.

Allow them to cool slightly so that you can easily handle them. You can scoop out the flesh and put it in a blender with all the other ingredients. A little skin won’t matter.

When thoroughly blended chill for a few hours.

This dip will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

PEAS OR MATAR - HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS: TUNA SALAD AND PEAS RECIPE

PEAS, MATAR IN URDU, PISUM SATIVUM

The garden pea is one of the oldest species of food plant that has been cultivated, and is thought to have originated in western Asia and North Africa. The Latin word pisum derives from the Greek, pisos or pison which translated as pise in Anglo-Saxon and then became pease. By the 1600s this had become pea as pease was believed erroneously to have been a plural form. It is believed that there were three main centres of pea development; Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Near East and Ethiopia. Wild peas thought to be descendants of the original pea plants still grow in Iran, Afghanistan and Ethiopia. From these regions they moved to the Mediterranean and the Far East.

  The first evidence we have so far is that wild peas were used around 9759BC, as traces of them have been found in the so-called “Spirit Cave” on the borders of Myanmar and Thailand. Excavations in Jarmo, in north-western Iraq have also found traces of wild peas dating from between 7000 and 6000 BC. Swiss Bronze Age villages show that peas were being consumed there around 3000 BC and we know that in 500 BC the Greeks and Romans were cultivating them. These may have come from Switzerland or via the trade routes in Asia. In Athens street vendors were selling soup made from dried peas.

  In 25 BC Apicius included nine recipes for peas in his cookery book, but at the time peas were dried and then eaten; they were not eaten fresh. Apicius gives recipes for dried peas with vegetables and with meats, so they must have been used in much the same ways as we use them today.

  By the 7^th century AD peas were being cultivated in China, and were called “hu tou” or “foreign legumes”, but there is a legend dating from earlier times which says that the Emperor Shu Nung, known as the Father of Agriculture in China, who lived 5000 years ago discovered peas. A Norse legend tells how Thor was angry with mortals and sent dragons to foul up the water supplies. The clumsy beasts dropped peas on fertile land and they grew which of course further angered Thor, so people dedicated the pea to him and only ate them on Thor’s Day or Thursday.

  Peas were dried and stored for use in winter months and were not eaten fresh for centuries. The marrowfat pea is the starchy one that is still usually dried and eaten in soups, and served as mushy peas along with mashed potatoes and sausages in some parts of London. (This dish is known as Liquor and Mash.) It wasn’t until late in the 17^th century that eating fresh peas became fashionable, but as with all fashionable things served as delicacies, fresh peas were food for the rich as they were expensive. The poorer classes continued to eat dried peas. In the 1800s and later, dried peas were an important staple for European peasants.

  Although we think of peas as vegetables they are a legume, as they grow in pods, some of which are edible, such as the mange tout or snow pea and the snap pea. These frequently appear in stir-fried dishes. Some snap peas need to have the vein removed from their pods before cooking.

  By the 14^th century the Italians had bred tiny peas they called piselli novelli (new peas) and when Catherine De Medici married Henri II of France she took these new mini-peas with her. The French adored them and called the petit pois (little peas), the name by which they are still known. By the 1560s peas were a traditional dish eaten at Lent throughout most of Europe. And in the time of King James I (1566-1625) London street sellers were selling “Hot grey peas and a suck of bacon.” (Marrowfat peas are still traditionally cooked with a ham bone.)

  James Campbell of the Campbell Soup Company canned peas first in the 1870s and they were one of the first vegetables to be frozen also in the 1920s and 30s.Clarence Birdseye was the first to freeze peas. Freezing peas actually locks in the nutrients and frozen ones are packed full of goodness, only comparable to freshly picked and shelled peas straight from the garden or allotment. Bags of frozen peas are good to put on black eyes and swellings too.

  To cook fresh peas you should barely cover them in water, then bring them to the boil, cover with a lid and simmer for 3 minutes. Don’t discard the water as it will contain vitamin C so use it as a base for gravy or stock.

  Apart from vitamin C peas contain proteins, sugar and starch, phytonutrients, one a polyphenol, coumestrol, which is thought to protect against stomach cancer. One study has also found that this might reduce the risks of prostate cancer. Coumestrol is believed to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Peas also contain some unique (or so it is currently thought) saponins, pisumsaponins 1 and II and pisomosides A and B along with other phytonutrients such as caffeic and ferulic acids. These may be beneficial to people who suffer from Type-2 diabetes. Peas also contain the flavonoids catechin and epicatechin. Although they are low in fat they contain the Omega-3 fatty acid in the form of alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) as well as beta-carotene, Vitamin E which supports the immune system and bone-building vitamin C and manganese. They also contain other minerals such as potassium, copper, magnesium, zinc and B- complex vitamins. They are good for the bones and protect the heart too. Peas help the body to reduce its blood cholesterol levels and may protect against appendicitis.

  Research is being undertaken currently and will hopefully reach its conclusions in 2013 in the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, to discover whether a diet of legumes (including peas) and aerobics exercise can help women suffering from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. In 2009, another Canadian study found that the proteins extracted from garden peas may reduce blood pressure and benefit those suffering from Chronic Kidney Disorder.

  You may have wondered about the etiquette of pea eating; you should spear peas on the prongs of your fork and then load more onto the back of it as they will then be kept in place by the peas on the prongs. Here is an Ode to Peas, the author is not known:

   “I eat my peas with honey.

    I’ve done it all my life.

    It makes the peas taste funny,

    But it keeps them on my knife.”

 Peas feature in the 16^th century sex manual, “The Perfumed Garden” written by Sheikh Nefzaoui who recommended them to be boiled with onion and cinnamon and used as an effective aphrodisiac. However peas contain oestrogenic chemicals which may decrease male fertility.

  In the 19^th and early 20^th century, London fogs were called “pea-soupers” because of their density and the green tinge they had. However the grey soup of those early street vendors was quite like fog, I imagine.

  Peas have come into the English language in similes, “as alike as two peas in a pod” meaning things or people are identical; “just like shelling peas” meaning that something is extremely easy to do. (Easy-peasy reflects the same concept too.) There is also the Hans Christian Andersen tale of “The Princess and The Pea” which featured the dried variety of pea, and Edward Lear’s poem, “The Owl and The Pussycat” who “went to sea in a beautiful pea-green boat.”

  In Pakistan, peas are traditionally eaten with keema (minced or ground meat) and potatoes, but here is a recipe for peas in a salad. Cook the peas as explained above.

TUNA SALAD AND PEAS

Ingredients

1 tin tuna drained and flaked

2 spring onions

50 gr shelled peas, cooked

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

mayonnaise

Method

 Mix all the ingredients together and serve on a bed of whole Cos lettuce leaves garnished with slices of cucumber, unpeeled, and sliced radishes or mooli.

This has Taste and is a Treat.