Stink bean or bitter bean or petai as it is called locally, is particularly good for the human body despite its peculiar smell as the name suggests. Its health benefits range from prevention or improvement of anemia, stress, stroke, depression, blood pressure and some.
This exotic bean is super loaded with potassium and low in salt, making it the ideal natural remedy to control blood pressure level.
Stink bean is a long flat bean with bright green seeds. The seeds are like fat almonds and can be eaten raw, pickled or lightly cooked.
I have eaten stink bean a number of times and it tastes bitter. Eating stink bean will cause a smell in the mouth and body. Believe me the restroom or toilet will smell terribly strange as the sharp odour of urine will last for as long as 2 days!
Having read about virtues of this wonder bean and with an intention to submit a post on this platform, I went out to buy a small bundle of stink bean fresh from the tree. Stink bean is not always sold in the market where I shop. Usually, the seeds are already removed from the pod and sold in small resealable bags.
Having bought whole beans, I cut each bean into sections and find it easier to remove the seed by making a knife slit and peeling off the top of the seed. The white seed coat has to be peeled off as well. The beans are thick and it took me more than half an hour to remove all the seeds. No wonder ready-to-cook stink bean is expensive.
I made a spicy stink bean and shrimp dish with some sambal that I had cooked earlier. Tasted rather good if I say so myself. Stink beans can also be added to fried rice and chow mien. Will tell you next time about our drive to a small shop about a hundred and ten miles away for a plate of stink bean chow mien.