Editorial photo #11088756 Human Interest

Lablab Purpureus - Lablab Bean - Agriculture In India

Lablab purpureus, also known by various names such as bonavista bean, Indian bean, dolichos bean, Egyptian kidney bean, field bean, hyacinth bean, lablab bean, pendal bean, pole bean, poor man's bean, waby bean, and sheem, is a species of bean native to sub-Saharan Africa and India. This warm-season annual or short-lived perennial plant has a thick stem that can grow up to 3 feet, with climbing vines that can reach up to 25 feet long. It features long-stemmed, trifoliate leaves. To grow lablab, it is suggested to erect a bower with bamboo poles over an area of 4.0 x 4.0 meters, keeping the pit at the center. This allows the plants to climb the bower by erecting one or two long twigs in the pits. Lablab is an edible plant, and its immature seeds and pods, as well as young leaves, can be cooked as vegetables. The mature dry beans are also edible but require prolonged cooking with several changes of water to become palatable. When cooked, the dried beans have a mild, nutty, smoky flavor with a fine creamy texture. The young pods can also be cooked and eaten as a fresh vegetable. The white flowers of lablab beans have a fragrant smell. Lablab beans were cultivated in the field at Kaliganj, West Bengal, India, on January 8, 2024. (Photo by Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto)