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Dara dambala |
| Synonyms: Phaseolus inamoenus Blanco, Phaseolus ilocanus Blanco, Phaseolus tunkinensis Lour., Phaseolus vexillatus Blanco, Phaseolus vulgaris Blanco | |
| Vernacular Name: Sinhala: Dara dambala; Eng: butterbean, lima bean, seiva bean, butterpea; Hin: sem | |
| Description: Lima beans (butterbeans in the South) are twining vines or herbaceous bushes, perennial in nature, but usually grown as annuals, even in the tropics. Some of the pole types can climb more than 12 ft up a trellis or bean teepee. Some of the bush types stay under 2 ft tall. The leaves have three leaflets, each 2-5 in long. The flowers are white to yellowish and quite small, usually less than 1 in in length. Depending on cultivar, the pods can be 2-6 in long and an inch or so wide. There are more than a hundred named lima bean cultivars. Cornucopia II lists 18 kinds of bush limas and 12 pole limas. 'Seiva' and 'Florida Speckled Butterbean' are prolific producers in Florida. The 'Butterpea' types are smaller, bush varieties popular in the southern U.S. Several of the bush and pole 'Fordhook' types are grown commercially. "Baby limas" are usually a bush type 'Fordhook'. | |
| Propagation: By seeds. | |
| Part Used: Beans, young pods and leaves | |
| Chemical
Constituents: The seeds of the wild
lima variety yield phaseolunatin (a cyanoigenetic glucoside) in
dangerous amounts; very minimal in the cultivated variety. The leaves
and stems also contain phaseolunatin, but not in the roots. High in carbohydrate and protein, fair in iron, and deficient in calcium. |
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| Uses: Fresh lima beans generally are shelled and boiled, then used in soups, stews, and as vegetable side dishes. An old southwestern favorite is succotash - lima beans and corn. Simmer lima beans all day with a ham bone for a delicious soup. Use cooked lima beans cold in salads. In Japan they are fermented to make tempeh kara. The Chinese use sprouted lima beans in many dishes. Try mashing cooked limas with butter, then adding some onions. Dried lima beans are cooked by boiling and used in many of the same ways. Limas can be allowed to dry on the vine, or picked green and spread out to dry. | |
