Seim BeanLablab purpureus is a species of bean in the family Fabaceae. It is native to Africa and it is cultivated throughout the tropics for food. English language common names include hyacinth bean, dolichos bean, lablab bean, Egyptian kidney bean, Indian bean, and Australian pea. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Lablab.
Some cultivars have white flowers, and others may have purplish or blue. The fruit is a legume pod variable in shape, size, and color. It is usually several centimeters long and bright purple to pale green. It contains up to four seeds. The seeds are white, brown, red, or black depending on the cultivar, sometimes with a white hilum. Wild plants have mottled seeds. The seed is about a centimeter long.
Uses:The fruit and beans are edible if boiled well with several changes of the water. The seeds are used to make tofu and tempeh.
In Maharashtra, a special spicy curry, known as vaala che birde, is often used during fasting festivals during Shravan month. In Karnataka, the hyacinth bean is made into curry (avarekalu saaru), salad (avarekaalu usli), added to upma (avrekaalu uppittu), and as a flavoring to Akki rotti. Sometimes the outer peel of the seed is taken out and the inner soft part is used for a variety of dishes. This form is called hitakubele avarekalu, which means "pressed (hitaku) hyancinth bean, and a curry is made out of this deskinned beans known as 'Hitikida Avarekaalu Saaru" In Telangana, the bean pods are cut into small pieces and cooked as spicy curry in Pongal festival season, along with bajra bread; it has been a very special delicacy for centuries.
In Kenya, the bean is popular among the Kikuyu people. It is thought to encourage lactation and has historically been the main dish for breastfeeding mothers. Beans are boiled and mashed with ripe and/or semiripe bananas, giving the dish a sweet taste.
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