Don’t let your eyes deceive you :), these are not the green beans you’ll see on your grandma’s table at Thanksgiving! These are cluster beans that Nags cooks then combines with yams to create a dish that mixes sweet and savory flavors. In her blog Edible Garden, she talks about the popularity of these beans in India. You’ll learn interesting facts about the green beans that aren’t actually ‘green beans’. You’ll read about their different names, and that the water used to cook the beans in shouldn’t be reused because it can be quite bitter, as Nags explains.

Sometimes I forget how much of an art form cooking really is. For instance, combining the sweet with the savory in a well-textured dish makes for a dish that’s a treat for all the senses. Aesthetically, it’s more appealing, and who can deny that the eating-experience itself is enhanced in dishes like these, which include ingredients like coconut and chili powder.

If you’re looking to add a few new ingredients to your pantry, then you’ll have fun grocery shopping for the ingredients that Nags uses in her Cluster Beans with Yam. Coconut oil is what you’ll use to fry up the shallots and garlic; that’s definitely an ingredient I’d like to own. Think of the warm flavor it brings to this dish!