Avarakkai Poriyal Recipe | Flat Beans Masala Curry

Today’s recipe is a simple shrimp/prawn curry made with flat beans called avarakkai in Tamil. This is my mother-in-laws recipe and I have started to cook this often as we get both veggies and non-vegetarian dish in one meal. I love veggies and my husband is a big sucker for anything that is not vegetarian. Dishes like these saves my place in his heart as it satisfies both are requirements. My mother-in-laws uses vadagam as a base to build on her curry. She also used tons of curry leaves, onions and tomatoes. It’s a very simple dish and can be made in advance. You can replace flat beans (avarakkai) with Indian long radishes or bottle gourd (sorakkai).

Avarakkai Poriyal Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp vadagam
- 10-12 curry leaves
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp chilli powder
- 2 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 large tomatoa chopped
- 250 grams flat beans / acarakkai chopped
- 1 lb prawns or shrimps cleaned and de-veined
- ½ cup water
- salt
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large cooking pan. Once hot enough, add vadagam and curry leaves. Let the leaves crisp up.
- Throw in the onions and little salt ( less than a teaspoon) and let it sweat. Cook covered until they turn brown, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add turmeric, chili and coriander powder. Saute till the raw smell disappears, about 5 minutes.
- If it turn too dry, add little water to avoid burning.
- Add the tomatoes and mix it with the onions mixture.
- Add flat beans/ avarakkai and shrimp. Stir to combine. Add water and cook covered 20 minutes.
- Add salt to taste.
Notes
2. Shrimp and veggies are a great combination for those on a weightloss program.
3. Also ideal for those who are diabetic/ pre-diabetic.
4. Can be eaten during gestational diabetes