Entire young and pliable pod is cooked and eaten or used in the preparation of curries. In older pods which develop tough exterior, the pulp and immature seeds remain edible just before ripening begins. A dish is made by slicing pods into 5 cm lengths and boiled in water along with lentils. The flesh inside the pod sections is eaten.
Alternatively, pods can be opened and the flesh and young immature seeds scraped out pods are boiled in water for a few minutes. The seeds of edible pods should be white in color. The seeds should be scraped out with the winged shells intact and as much of the soft white flesh as possible. It is rinsed with water to remove the sticky, bitter film. It is mixed with rice or roasted or fried in oil to give a taste like sweet groundnuts. The flesh can be cut into strips and steamed or fried, used to make a soup or be added to other sauces.
