When Fahim’s parents come for a visit, they sometimes bring things with them, usually food items of one description or another. It might be sweets like muscat or jellabies, or fruit from their trees like mango or papaya. Sometimes, it’s green chillies or other vegetables. This last visit? Awara.

Awara look a bit like snap peas, only bigger, badder, and on way more steroids. But are they a pea or a bean and what the heck are they?

As it turns out, awara (in Sinhalese) is the immature common jack bean (in English).My mother in law confirmed that the leaves and flowers are the same as a picture I found, although the plants she’s seen have darker purple flowers.

At Fahim’s parent’s house in Kurunegala, they have a plot of land behind the house that Fahim’s mom uses as a garden. She has all manner of plants growing in there, including banana plants, papaya plants, a curry leaf tree, and teak trees. Other vegetables come and go as she feels like growing them and the crops get rotated. Along the back fence, a neighbour woman apparently has grown awara, using the fence to support the bean’s vines. The neighbour gave my mother in law permission to pick some of these beans. They are apparently edible when eaten immature, but don’t eat too many as they can be mildly toxic.

I wondered what we would do with this bean thing, and, as it turned out, Fahim’s mom wanted to make it into a mallung. I love mallungs.

Here, the Awara Mallung is shown along with a carrot curry and Tamarind Fish Curry.

Awara Mallung

Ingredients

• 3-4 cups awara, sliced finely and in half lengthwise
• 5-6 curry leaves, torn
• 2 teaspoons Maldive fish flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 100 grams coconut, freshly shredded
• 4 green chillies
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 small onion
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 t turmeric

Directions:

1. Put the awara, curry leaves, Maldive fish flakes, salt, and water into a pot over medium heat. The water should be not quite covering the awara.
2. Simmer until the awara is tender and the water is mostly gone.
3. Grind together the coconut, green chillies, garlic, onion, pepper, and turmeric, then add to the awara.
4. Stir to combine and cook another couple of minutes, stirring constantly.

If you don’t have curry leaves, omit. There is no substitute.

Maldive fish flakes are flakes of dried tuna. I’ve heard that dried shrimp can be substituted, but have not tried this myself.

It’s possible in some areas to buy freshly shredded or frozen freshly shredded coconut from Asian markets or restaurants. If you don’t have either, you can use desiccated shredded coconut and add some hot water, then allow it to rehydrate. It won’t taste as good, but it’s as close a substitute as there is.

So. The big question. How’d it taste? Not entirely like beans, but pretty close. And it was pretty darn good.

Have you had jack beans before? If so, how do you prepare them?

I honestly didn’t think of eating chickpeas for breakfast, but then, I previously hadn’t considered eating mung beans for breakfast, and yet mung beans work well for breakfast – Fahim loves it. So when Fahim’s mom suggested making these, I was excited.

Well, to be honest, I didn’t realize at first that Fahim’s mom intended the chickpeas to be for breakfast. I thought they were going to be a lunch and dinner curry. Then the next day, when Fahim’s mom starts cooking it, that’s when I figured out – finally! – that this was meant for breakfast. That, and I think it might be because someone pointed it out to me.

Tempered Chickpeas

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

• 2-3 tablespoons oil
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 2 teaspoons crushed red chilli peppers OR
• 5 dried red chillies, broken into pieces
• 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 300 grams dried chickpeas, cooked and drained (or about 600 grams cooked chickpeas)
• 200 grams coconut, freshly shredded (optional)

Directions

1. Put the oil into a hot pot. Add the onions and fry for a minute, then add the curry leaves and fry another minute, stirring constantly.
2. Add the mustard seeds and continue to stir constantly.
3. A minute later, add the crushed red chillies or dried red chillies. By this time, the onions will be browned.
4. Add the salt and chickpeas and continue stirring while it cooks for another 2 or 3 minutes, then remove from heat.
5. The chickpeas can be eaten as is, or can be mixed with the freshly shredded coconut.

Personally, I love freshly shredded coconut, so I opted for added coconut to my chickpeas. Fahim and his father prefer theirs as is. Fahim’s mother prefers coconut added, but much less than I would add.

I was surprised at how much I liked these chickpeas for breakfast. Very surprised. I even liked them without the freshly shredded coconut, which I happen to love, although the freshly shredded coconut definitely added to my love for them. Love love love. Yup.

Here in Sri Lanka, we have a type of leaf that’s locally called a cabbage leaf. I don’t know if it’s a close relative to cabbage or not, but it sure looks like it to me, so I’m happy to go along with that assessment. The cabbage leaves are rather tough when raw, but cooked this way, they end up being soft and flavourful.

This is another recipe Fahim’s mom taught me. I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a huge fan of cabbage, but this is another recipe that won me over.

Mama Farook’s Garlic’d Cabbage Leaves

Ingredients

• 1-2 tablespoons oil
• 3-4 curry leaves
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2-3 green chillies, minced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2-3 cups shredded cabbage leaves

Directions

1. Add oil to a hot pot, then add curry leaves, onion, and green chillies and temper for a minute or two.
2. Add the garlic and salt, mix thoroughly, then add the cabbage leaves and let cook, stirring occasionally.
3. The cabbage is done when the leaves are wilted and dark green, about 3-5 minutes.

Notes

I use virgin coconut oil for an authentic Sri Lankan taste. If you don’t have coconut oil, use any unflavoured oil.

If you do not have curry leaves, omit. There is no substitute.

Use any hot pepper that you like, seeded or not as you prefer. If you prefer it less spicy, you can use less or omit.

I chop up the stems of the cabbage leaves, but not the thick central stem of the plant. I also use other leaves, like raddish, beet, rutabaga, or any other edible vegetable leaf, either in combination with the cabbage leaves or by themselves.

This is an easy dish to put together quickly, and the garlic and green chillies gives the cabbage a great flavour.

Among the recipes Fahim’s mom taught me is this Tamarind Fish Curry. It’s spicy, a little bit sour (from the tamarind), and absolutely delish.

This is one of my all-time favourite ways to eat fish. 

Mama Farook’s Sri Lankan Tamarind Fish Curry

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
• 2 teaspoons red chilli pepper powder*
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 500 grams firm white fish, cut into serving pieces
• 1/2 small onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons oil (we use virgin coconut)
• 4-5 curry leaves
• 1/2 small onion, sliced
• 4" x 1/2" piece cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

1. Mix the tamarind paste with the red chilli pepper powder, turmeric, and salt along with enough water to form a thinnish paste. Pour over the fish and onion and cover the fish thoroughly. Set aside.
2. Into a hot pot, add the oil, then the curry leaves, onion, and cinnamon stick. Stir frequently.
3. When the onions are sllightly browned, add the garlic and cook for another minute or so.
4. Add the marinating fish and onion and enough water to almost cover the fish.
5. Let simmer until the fish is cooked and the sauce is reduced and thick, about 10 minutes.

*That’s the amount of red chilli pepper powder that Fahim’s mom uses. When I make it for just Fahim and I, I use 2 tablespoons (sometimes more) red chilli pepper powder. We prefer it hotter. We’re also insane. Unless you’re a seriously insane freak of nature, use 2 teaspoons as the maximum.

That’s it! Not complicated at all, but oh so good!

We use virgin coconut oil for the authentic Sri Lankan curry flavour. If you don’t have any, use any flavourless oil.

If you don’t have curry leaves, omit. There is no substitution.

If you want it less spicy, reduce the red chilli pepper powder or use black pepper instead.

I hope you enjoy!