Winged Beans or Psophocarpus tetragonolobus and sometimes called Asparagus Bean, Goa Bean, Four Angle Bean, or Princess Pea and in the Philippines called Sigarilyas… it’s a wonderful tasting high protein bean with health benefits.
Winged Beans
Growing Area – Winged Beans grow in warm tropical climates such as Florida, South America, Central America, Caribbean, and Asia and the Orient where it’s hot and humid.
They also grow well in green houses as they twists their way up trellises growing as tall as15 feet… it take about 2 months for great tasting pea pods to appear.
They love wet weather and climb like crazy, sometimes 6 feet in a couple of days. And the blue flowers are very pretty… plus you end up with 9 inch edible pea pods.
Taste – The wing shaped beans taste a bit like Asparagus – wonderful.
Low in Calories – Winged Bean pods are very low in calories which makes them great for weight loss… 50 grams of pods is about 25 calories.
Dried Beans – If you let the pods mature and dry they become full of protein and the calorie count goes up, about 400 calories for 100 grams which is similar to soybeans.
Strong Bones and Rehab – Winged Beans are important for building strong bones and for energy for those who are sick and debilitated.
Whole Plant Edible – The pods, leaves, stems, and the tubers are all edible.
The tubers can be eaten cooked or raw… and have a good amount of protein with a nutty tasting potato flavor and they are fat free and cholesterol free.
The seeds must be cooked or roasted and have up to 35% protein which is similar to soybeans.
The pods can be eaten raw or cooked… and make a very crunchy veggie for salads and stews.
The leaves and flowers are also edible and contain up to 15% protein… and they are fat free and cholesterol free.
Vitamins A, B, and C – Winged Beans are full of Vitamin C which is a powerful antioxidant that helps to prevent cardiovascular disease, strokes, and cancer.
Winged Beans also contain lots of Vitamin A which is another powerful antioxidant that helps to prevent DNA damage.
And Winged Beans also contain B Vitamins for vitality, mood enhancement, and energy.
Fiber – Winged Beans have a lot of fiber which is important for growing probiotic bacteria in your colon which boosts your immune system.
Contains – Winged Beans contain potassium for cardiovascular health and water regulation, selenium for fertility, calcium and phosphorus for strong bones, iron and copper for anemia, magnesium for metabolism, and manganese for boosting your immune system.
Enzymes – They also contain lots of live enzymes which are important for good health.
Fats – And the fats in Winged Beans contain a full spectrum of saturated fats, mono saturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats.
Protein – Winged Beans contain a full range of proteins from alanine to valine… this is about the only plant I know of that has a full spectrum of proteins – Wonderful!!!
Sugars – Winged Beans contain lots of different types of sugars from fructose to glucose, lactose, sucrose, galactose, and maltose. Some of these are very important for the growth of probiotic bacteria.
Uses – Winged Bean Seeds can be roasted and used in soups and stews just like other dried beans and peas.
The green pea pods can be used in stir fries, soups, stews, curries, they can be grilled with salt and pepper with oil, cooked with coconut milk, and they can be used raw in salads… they commonly used in Asian cooking.
The leaves of the plant are edible and are commonly used in stews and stir fries… add some garlic sauce and you have a wonderful meal.
Plus the blue flowers can also be used to add color to cooked rice and pastries.
And the seeds can be fried and mashed together with mashed potatoes made into a patty and browned on both sides… to make a wonderful tasting potato and Winged Bean patty.
Flour – Winged Beans can be made into flour for making bread which is a great alternative to wheat flour… much higher in protein.
Nitrogen Fixing – Winged Beans also fix nitrogen in the soil… which is essential for rejuvenating poor soils.
Finding – You can find Winged Beans at your local Asian Store. Or you can order seeds on-line, just google “Buy Winged Bean Seeds” and lots of places will come up. And sometimes they have Winged Beans at Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and other great food stores.
This article is meant to get you started… so you can do more research on your own… dig a little deeper and find what works for you. This article is for educational purposes only, I strongly recommend that you seek advice from your own GP, private doctor, or medical specialist for any ailment, illness, or medical condition.. this article not meant to be a scientific analysis in any way, shape, or form.
Dr. Paul Haider – Master Herbalist and Spiritual Teacher for over 20 years, helping people to recover and feel healthy. You can also find Dr. Haider on FB under Dr. Paul Haider, Healing Herbs, and at www.paulhaider.com – feel free to contact him any time.
Here is a short video bio – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK6Eg-xlX3U
Here is my Google+ address if any of you would like to connect. — http://plus.google.com/+PaulHaider–drpaulhaider
Dr. Paul Haider, Master Herbalist, HH, USA, Flour, Nitrogen Fixing, Sugars, Protein, Fats, Enzymes, Fiber, Vitamins A-B-C, Strong Bones, Rehab, Whole Plant is Edible, Cooking, Salads, Very Healthy, High Protein, Asparagus Flavor, Leaves Edible, Tubers Edible, Potato Flavor, Nutty,
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