Tel Shim (Hyacinth Beans in mustard gravy)
4:59 AM
What do you see in my pictures? I don’t know what your answer would be but I see embarrassment. Yes, am embarrassed to click food, more so in the presence of anybody else except hubby. That’s why many a times I had spent hours in cooking an elaborate meal but could not click a single picture.forget about setting the scene with props and all, am mortified even to utter the word food blog in front of friends and relatives. Yes!very few people know about my online avatar.
For instance this dish that I cooked when my Ma-n-law visited us in Bangalore. With the bounty that my hyacinth bean vine blessed me almost everyday was almost impossible to manage. How much hyacinth bean can you eat or share with your friends. Recipes are limited and picky eaters don’t even touch this vegetable. So when My MIL was there I made this tel shim for lunch. She loved it and dint touch any other dish that day. So after a couple of days I cooked it again and this time when she was taking bath I quickly
Clicking picture was really difficult in our Bangalore home, which was a single storied independent house. Except the main entrance door we dint get ample natural light elsewhere. So everytime I wanted to take picture I had to move the table and everything to the front door. Trust me it was very uncomfortable to take pictures that way. Imagine a house situated on a road, a door 100 meteres away from the gate where a woman is bringing plates and spoons on a table near the door. Looking through the camera, putting another ladle of curry, scattering some flowers around the bowl. Wont you stop and watch the scene in utter disbelief? Trust me every time I did so I was mortified to think if someone comes and asks what would I reply. Remember the scene from the movie sex and the city where Charlotte rehearses how to show her hatred to Big by saying ‘I curse the day you were born’. In the similar fashion I rehearsed to reply the passers by, by saying ‘I am a Food blogger’.
So that mock proud food blogger today present to you a lousily clicked photo of a real delicious curry called tel shim. Tel in Bengali means oil and shim are the hyacinth beans. This dish is supposed to have oil oozing out from the gravy, which means lot of oil. If you are interested in having it the authentic way please feel free to use 3-4 tbsp oil. But I prefer to have a lighter version for everyday meal. Reserve that for some special occasion luncheons.
Between if you love Shim, you can check this recipe of mine too
Shim Bata or Spicy Hyacinth Beans Paste
Between if you love Shim, you can check this recipe of mine too
Shim Bata or Spicy Hyacinth Beans Paste
Tel Shim
Ingredients:
Hyacinth beans: 18-20 pieces
Mustard paste: 11/2 tbsp; please adjust according to your taste. We Bengalis are in love with mustard and we love the heat of this spice. For beginners I would suggest to use less.
Nigella seeds; 1/3 tsp
Green chillies: 2-3 pieces
Mustard oil: 1 tbsp
Salt
Turmeric
Sugar: ¼ tsp
Method:
Cut the edges of the beans and remove the hair on both sides. With a fork poke the beans at 2-3 places. Wash and boil with a pinch of salt and turmeric for 5 minutes or till half cooked.
Drain the water and keep the beans aside.
Heat the oil in a pan or kadhai. Once its smoking hot reduce the flame and add the nigella seeds and slited green chillies. Be careful the spice will splutter a lot. Add the drained beans, pinch of salt and turmeric.
Fry on very low flame for 3-4 minutes or till the raw smell of the beans are gone.
Mix the mustard paste with ¾ cup water. Pour the ater in the pan. Make sure the mustard skin is not added.
Check the seasoning and let it cook and thinken. The gravy would be little more after coating the beans and the oil should start coming out.
Pour few drops of pure mustard oil on top. Mix and serve.
Tags:
hyacinth bean, beans, country beans, broad beans, sem, shim, sim, country beans with mustard, mustard gravy, how to make bengali mustard gravy, beans in mustard, beans and mustard, mustard paste, simer jhal, sim sorshe, sorisha sim, shimer tarkari, shimer jhal, tel shim, kancha lonka shim, shim bata, shim posto, how to cook broad beans, indian beans curry, indian broad beans in gravy, east indian style country beans, bangladeshi cooking, bangladeshi beans recipe.
Posts
51 comments
Sayantani, I am not a fan of the hyacinth beans either, but this recipe sounds and looks wonderful:) I also enjoyed reading about your challenges in taking good photos of the food...:):) These photos came out looking great!
ReplyDeletewow very new and nice flavorful gravy...
ReplyDeleteThis looks lovely - I totally relate to this 'not-being-able-to-take-pics-in-front-of-others' phobia ! I used to be so embarrassed about it, its better now, though ! Sayantani, I baked doughnuts with the glorip[an finally, it was beautiful...thanks so much, life is so much easier with this instant yeast !
ReplyDeleteI dont know why you are calling these pictures lousy! Its great!
ReplyDeleteLove the recipe!
Do check out my event and send me your entries.
A new way to prepare Hyacinth Beans.I am also not comfortable taking pictures in front of outsiders
ReplyDeleteLooks delicious ... as if I can smell the shorsher jhanj. I am no expert in photography but I didnt find anything wrong with the photos ... infact chhobigulo to bhaloi esechhe
ReplyDeleteHehe..Sayantani I completely agree with you...even when I click my food pictures near my window that too in 2nd floor, I always fear that somebody from the opposite block might spot me and dont know what they would think.
ReplyDeleteBut on the other note this veggie preparation looks superb..I too can have lots of this alone without any other accompaniment.
Even I don't like to take pictures of food when people are around.. even if my husband. Most of my family knows about my blog, but I am just not comfortable.
ReplyDeleteGravy is mouthwatering. This beans is a favorite at my home but I make the basic subzi and everyone loves.
I was laughing to myself reading you post as I know exactly what you are talking about!! I often feel the same about taking pictures of food and have been in a similar dilemma while taking pictures of having to explain why in the world I am taking these pictures. But I also feel your dish looks great and I love mustard so I will be trying it out!
ReplyDeleteNew recipe to me.. with mustard paste.. lovely.. nice clicks..
ReplyDeleteYour Shim Curry looks so delicious and clicks are as usual great. But that is besides the point. The fact of the matter is that I too am very much conscious about my surroundings while taking photos of my preparations. Especially, when my cook looks at me clicking pics of the food with curious eyes and thereafter is perplexed to see me put the decoration aside and pour the food in the main dish. Thought to share this with you. All the Best!!
ReplyDeleteDeepa
Hamaree Rasoi
That should be really flavorful..
ReplyDeleteMouthwatering recipe..gravy is really tempting
ReplyDeletevery flavourful...pics are simply grt...
ReplyDeleteQuite an inviting and delicious gravy,thanks for sharing..
ReplyDeleteA flavorful and delicious looking gravy...
ReplyDeleteYour pics look simply great, amazing and something to want for :)
ReplyDeletethe curry looks great, I have never had these beans before, so new to me :)
Loved this dish using hyacinth beans usually I make it only as a stir fry but this time I will try this as your gravy looks finger licking good.
ReplyDeleteLooks soo tempting, yummy and delicious...in my state Orissa, we also prepare this recipe called as shimba rai...u hav a nice space here..im ur happy follower nw...hav a look at my blog n ur free time..enjoy..tc..:)
ReplyDeleteVery nice recipe...And the clicks are very good...
ReplyDeleteWow a very good dish with these beans looks too yumm n perfectly clicked!!!
ReplyDeletevery new one to me and nice write up. aromatic gravy
ReplyDeleteI can so very well relate to your pic clicking dilemma in front of family and friends and so many dishes go un clicked :).
ReplyDeleteCurry looks yum
A different recipe for hyacinth or avarakkai as we call. Pictures are good and you call this lousy :(.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely regarding the clicking of photos...the pic does not look bad at all...a nice recipe too
ReplyDeleteThis must be a fiesty side dish. Superb. I love the pictures you click. I did not know you were putting in so much effort.
ReplyDeleteSayantani,
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean to say..(Dil/Mil is a famous relationship :-D)..every one in my family and friends know I have food blog but still whenever they are around I cant click pictures..Your pictures are always eye-catching and well presented..
Sheem shorshe amar O besh priyo pod..hugs and smiles
@Kala, if you like mustard you would definitely love this.
ReplyDelete@Anu, thanks
@Arch, I know every food blogger will relate to my situation.
@Archana, padhu, thanks buddies
@Madhu, glad that you liked these clicks.
@Raji, I now live on the third floor and few days back while clicking pictures some masons saw me and looked at me in total horror. funny but embarassing for me. I quickly stopped the whole thing.
@Divya, Thanks
ReplyDelete@Usha, wish I could tell them too.
@Mustard seeds, yeah thats eveident from your name dear.
@Laxmi, :-)
2Deepa, ami akhon oke confidence e nie niechi. okei akhon boli background e kapor dhorte. abak hole hokge. kije kori.
@Neetha, Suja, Soujanya :-)
@Priya, Reshmi, Priya, Vidya...thanks a ton. glad that you liked
ReplyDelete@Vidya, Thnaks try once. hope you will like it.
@Mugdha, am also oriya by birth though cant speak even the language. thanks for following me.
@Neha. Kalpana, Jeyashree, glad that you liked it.
@Nisha, Jeyasree, Kaveri, Shal...thanks for your lovely comments.
ReplyDelete@Jaya, thats a clever one ;-)
I don't see embarrassment .. i see YUM!You know I had forgotten about this dish totally and my husband loves shim. I should totally make this bengali dish for him. I think he will like it.
ReplyDeleteI can understand your situation.. clicking photo near the main door can get in weird situation. I click by the window but we are in ground floor and many times people passing by saw me on chair trying to click some photos. Total embarrassment .. but don't care .. really don't care.
Very flavorful and yummy curry,lots and lots of flavor love it.
ReplyDeleteThis recipe sounds delicious!!! lovely flavors...
ReplyDeleteLOL I too get self-conscious about taking food photos with people watching, but hey, we should click loudly and proudly ;)
ReplyDeleteI love hyacinth beans and this dish looks simply divine.
I enjoyed reading your post and your challenge in taking pics:)I can totally get your hesitance in taking pic before guests. believe me, your pics always stands out!
ReplyDeleteWonderful post. Interesting recipe. Bookmarked.
ReplyDeleteSayantani,you are absolutely right about the star shaped nozzle used for the roses.You know your piping nozzles girl :).
ReplyDeleteVery funny story! I feel very similar...like people will think I am strange or just not understand what I am doing. I few times I was out in my backyard taking pictures of food and thought if My neighbors see me they will think I am crazy...lol
ReplyDeleteLove your dish. It sounds delicious. I think you picture is perfect:)
I like the pics dear ~ it looks really appetizing. Back home mom used to make it often n I was not a big fan then but now crave these dishes sometimes!
ReplyDeleteUS Masala
Darun recipe. Dekhei khete ichhe korchhe. Khub shundor baniyechho r mone hochhe jhal jhal hoyechhe, dal r bhat diye darun lagbe.
ReplyDeleteI love this bean variety very much, a new kind of recipe for me,thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletesuch a tempting and delicious recipe.. love it :)
ReplyDeleteIndian Cuisine
Reg Clicking. I just felt you are writing my very problem. I had the same problem but now after shifting to a new home I feel really free as I have a lot of natural light and the quality of pics too have improved, I guess and that only you would have to confirm. Very few people know that I'm a food blogger either.
ReplyDeleteI'm a north indian but born and brought in Bengal. I luckily got into your blog. I love bengali food. There are so many vegeterian recipes in bengal and all of them mouth watering. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe. Kudos
ReplyDeleteI am not Indian, but blessed are you for sharing your culture with the world... Your pictures are beautiful and inspiring! I love mustard, too, and came upon your food blog while looking into the cooking of Hyacinth Beans. Maybe I will make this someday, for now don't have any hyacinth beans.
ReplyDelete@Mallika and Anon, thanks for your appreciating words. this keeps me going.
ReplyDeleteHi. I hate sheem. But when I made this it tasted wonderful. Thank you
ReplyDeleteTried this recipe. I do not like. sheem. But it tasted wonderful in this recipe. Instead of boiling the sheem I microwaved it for this recipe, tasted nice.
ReplyDeleteso glad Piya that you loved the dish instead of the fact that you loathe Shim.
ReplyDeleteso glad Piya that you loved the dish instead of the fact that you loathe Shim.
ReplyDelete