Winged Beans

Name: Winged beans, also called four-angled beans, goa beans or kacang botor (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus), described here as dried beans and seeds. A separate page under Vegetables covers the green pods.

Description

Winged bean is native to tropical Asia, probably New Guinea or Southeast Asia, and has been grown for centuries across Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. It has been called the “one-species supermarket,” because the pods, leaves, flowers, tubers and seeds can all be eaten, and the seeds are unusually high in protein and oil.

The mature seeds are round, brown or tan, and are among the most protein-rich of all beans, with a protein content similar to soybeans. They must be well cooked, since they contain trypsin inhibitors and lectins, and they are used as a pulse, roasted, or made into flour, tempeh and milk.

Main nutrition value

Winged bean seeds are notable for their very high protein and oil content, and provide fibre, iron, calcium and B vitamins, once cooked.

How best to be consumed

Winged bean seeds need long, thorough cooking.

1. Soak overnight, then boil for at least 1 hour in fresh water until completely tender.
2. Roast or fry the cooked beans for a nutty snack, or add to curries and stews.
3. Grind into flour, or ferment into tempeh, as in parts of Indonesia.
4. Never eat the raw or undercooked seeds.
5. Buy from reputable sources, since they are not widely sold.

Overconsumption could cause…

Winged bean seeds are safe only when well cooked.

1. Digestive upset (nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea) from raw or undercooked beans, which contain natural lectins that cooking destroys, so always boil dried beans thoroughly. The seeds also contain trypsin inhibitors, which reduce protein digestion if not cooked well.
2. Bloating and gas from the fermentable carbohydrates (oligosaccharides) in beans, particularly if you are not used to eating them, so build up gradually and drink water.
3. Allergic reactions in a small number of people allergic to legumes.
4. Reduced absorption of iron, zinc and calcium from the phytates in dried beans, which soaking, sprouting and thorough cooking reduce.

GroupsBeansPods, Beans and PeasLegume family

Related foodsBlack-Eyed PeasHyacinth BeansAdzuki BeansBlack BeansBorlotti BeansBroad Beans / Fava Beans

Wikipedia — Psophocarpus tetragonolobus, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psophocarpus_tetragonolobus