Cluster beans (gavar) cooked with mustard oil, onion and a specific combination of spices — slightly bitter, dry and intensely flavoured. The most frequently cooked everyday vegetable of Haryana alongside bajra roti.
Ingredients
400 g cluster beans (gavar/gavarphali) — washed and string removed, cut into 3 cm pieces
2 tbsp mustard oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp amchur (dry mango powder)
1/2 tsp garam masala
salt to taste
coriander leaves for garnish
Method
Prepare the cluster beans: Wash the gavar thoroughly. Remove the strings by snapping off both ends and pulling — the string runs along the length of each pod. Cut into 3 cm pieces. Cluster beans have a natural mild bitterness — this is normal and part of their flavour character.
Heat mustard oil: Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil in a wide heavy pan on high until smoking, then reduce to medium. The smoking step removes the pungency of raw mustard oil.
Add mustard seeds and asafoetida: Add mustard seeds — wait to pop. Add asafoetida. Stir 10 seconds.
Add ginger and garlic: Add ginger paste and garlic paste. Stir continuously for 1 minute.
Add spice powders: Turn to low heat. Add turmeric, red chilli powder and coriander powder. Stir 1 minute.
Add the cluster beans: Add the prepared cluster beans. Stir well to coat every piece with the spiced oil. Add salt.
Cook covered without water: Add only 2 tbsp water. Cover the pan. Cook on medium-low heat for 15 minutes. The cluster beans will release a small amount of their own moisture and cook in steam. Check once and stir gently if they look dry.
Test doneness: After 15 minutes, taste one piece — it should be tender with a slight bite remaining. The bitterness should have mellowed considerably. If still too firm, cover and cook 5 more minutes.
Finish dry: Remove lid. Cook uncovered on medium heat for 3 minutes to evaporate any remaining moisture. The sabzi should look dry, slightly caramelised and fragrant.
Add amchur and garam masala: Add amchur and garam masala. Stir. Scatter coriander leaves. Serve with bajra roti.
Note: Cluster beans (gavar) grow abundantly on the dry, arid soils of Haryana and Rajasthan — they are drought-resistant and productive in harsh conditions. They are the most commonly grown and eaten vegetable in rural Haryana. Gavar sabzi with bajra roti and a bowl of kadhi is the archetypal everyday lunch of Haryana's farming households. The mild bitterness of cluster beans is considered beneficial for blood sugar management in traditional practice.