Sunday, April 07, 2013

Growing Chavali


Chavali or Black eyed beans, is one of my favorite beans. I love tender beans as a stir fry and the mature seeds soaked overnight and cooked into a spicy curry with a gravy. On one such day I soaked the Chavali for the curry and decided to plant one and see how it grows. I had read somewhere it grows easily. It did and I am happy with it.

I grew Chavali in three stages

Soaking:  
12 Jan 2013
Add the seeds in a jar and cover with 4-5 inches of water above the seeds. Soak them in water overnight.

Sprouting: 
Drain the soaked seeds and let them sprout in the soil       

Planting: 
  • I used a plastic tray with growing media.
  • Fill up to the brim.
  • Ensure there is a small hole in the bottom of the planter for draining excess water.
  • Sprinkle water to moisten the soil. Do this every day.
  • Cover thinly with dry leaves/ saw dust or a wet muslin cloth to protect from birds picking the sprouts.
  • Ensure enough sunlight, but not direct till the bean stalk proliferates quite a bit.
  • In a week I got 5 inch tall bean stalk.
  • Replant into a bigger pot with growing media, a mix of soil and twigs. Fill up with planting soil up to 10 inches.
  • Start supporting the bean stalk on the grill or a cage.
  • It flowers into white blossoms and bears fruit in the form or green beans.

Harvest:
Pluck the beans once they are about 15 inches to use when tender or leave them on stalk to mature if you want to wait for the seeds.

24 Mar 2013

Cleaning for Use:
Remove the crown and destring, if you must, break into small pieces or chop up fine.

Some uses:
Till now I have harvested only 4-5 beans at a time so they went as sprinkles on uttapams or into a sambar.

While we are talking about growing Chavali here, there is something else happening on the other side of the world with red chavali and my Koli masala which traveled across with ET. Mints, thank you for posting, you made my day!
 Fresh beans harvested for the mature seeds. 11th April 2013

7 comments:

  1. Completed the full circle :) I love tender Chauli chi bhaji. We used to eat them raw as snack when we were kids.

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    Replies
    1. How much fun it is! Raw must see how that would taste. I am not much into raw beans.

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  2. I too love chawli.Nice informative post.

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  3. Salute you for all the gardening you do! If you have enough mature beans to get the peas, then try this: http://www.vadanikavalgheta.com/2012/07/fresh-black-eyed-peas-usal.html - I have made it following her directions and it turns out delicious when slow cooked on low heat for a long time.

    Our love seems to be going round and round here! :)

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    Replies
    1. ET I wish I had more space. I don't get enough yield from this plant at a single time but when I buy from the market I must try this recipe you suggest. Enjoy the whirligig ;)!

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