Dreaming of Black Beans

AprilFlower

I would like to know if dried black(turtle) beans are available anywhere in India? If anyone has seen them please let me know where. Particularly helpful if you know the name of the store so that I could call and see if they could ship me some. I am going through withdraw !

CMS

I've dreamed and looked, and looked, and looked in the south with no luck. Last time I went out I brought some back in my case!

AprilFlower

Thanks CMS. I was afraid of that. I haven't seen them up here in the northwest either. My aunt sent me some in a care package a year and a half ago but those are long gone. I wish I went back more often and it is so hard for me to decide what to give priority to in my suitcase...books or food . Thankfully more and more things keep showing up but seems like I may have to wait a few more years at least for my black beans....

abracax

Ah, feijoada. Closest thing in India is rajma beans.

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AprilFlower

Abracax, you are just trying to make me salivate aren't you?! I am just like Pavlov's dog...the mere mention of all things black bean oriented gets me going .

CMS

I've made the decision to buy my books in India as they're so much cheaper (Abe books is great to search for local Indian book sellers) and Amazon.com for the ones that aren't available in India. And bring unavailable food in my suitcase!

Good Luck.

SMSTranslator

In Canada, I have regularly used black/turtle beans as a substitute for "whole black urad dal" bean because it is less expensive (being native to North America) and, more importantly, easier to inspect for foreign objects and clean, due to its larger size (and, thus, far fewer numbers for the same volume compared to urad).

Although I enjoy cooking and prefer the taste of "whole black urad" beans in certain (very few in number) Indian preparations but, given a choice, I often use black beans as a substitute for whole black urad, as a time saver.

I can think of few situations where I have found the substitution unsatisfactory.

Therefore, I wonder if you have found a reverse substitution (using "whole black urad dal" for "turtle beans") unsatisfactory specially when you are suffering from black bean withdrawls.

I decided to post because I never saw "whole black urad" bean being used in Gujarati cuisine and considered the possibility that you might not have come across it.

One has to be very careful using the word "never" in an Indian context.

I have never seen "whole black urad" bean being used in restaurants in North India although it is reasonably common in North Indian homes. I have also not seen it being used in the South (restaurant or homes) although the "washed" or the milled variety is an essential ingredient in dosa.

For me, rajmah (or, literally translated, "royal urad") or kidney bean, as suggested in this thread, is not a satisfactory substitute for black bean from food science perspective (e.g. the desired viscosity obtained upon cooking).

I would be interested in knowing your views if you have attempted or do attempt such a substitution (by "whole black urad" bean).

chAos

Like smst, I'd keep trying with some of the beans that are here to see if you can maybe get a sort-of partial reasonable similar-enough item.

I saw one, but haven't tried it; it's black, but a little flat, so don't know if it will work. It's called horse gram, or something like that.

And one that could maybe might possibly work is called moth beans, (or mutt? mutti? something like that.) They're tiny and dark brown, but not flat, maybe a little bit bigger than whole urad. I think they might have a closer flavor.

chAos

OK, I swear I just saw black beans at FabIndia! They were called
Black Soyabeans, but they looked just like the pic of black turtle beans on wiki.
Might be worth checking out.

vir

Interesting !

Is this you?

http://ph.answers.yahoo.com/question...81950AAOcJv s

Aishah

Might have been, vir, he/she is a spam advertising person who has now left our forum and had posts deleted. Instead of deleting your post as well in the 'clean up', I'm answering your question!

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