Stink beans are a vegetable enjoyed by many Thais. They have a pungent smell (that some find unpleasant), but the flavors and texture are totally worth it. Find out how you can prepare stink beans in this post!
What Is Stink Bean? | สะตอ
The stink bean, also known as parkia speciosa, smelly bean, bitter bean, petai, twisted cluster bean, and particularly sator or sataw - สะตอ in Thai, is a vegetable many of us Thais LOVE. The beans come in long, flat, twisted pods that grow in clusters.
Speaking of the smell of stink beans, they have a very strong bad smell that even those who enjoy them may still want to turn away from. The smell usually stays in your mouth and body for a day or two (think bad breath and urine) but the beans are so good I can never get enough of them.
As for where you can buy stink beans, if you live in Thailand, you can get them from most markets and supermarkets when they're in season. They may come in bunches or pre-peeled in a package. For other countries, I've seen them in Asian grocery stores - fresh ones - and I’m talking Europe here!
Although the stink bean is one of those things you either love or hate, I would highly encourage you to try it if you haven't done so.
Video Tutorial
Dishes You Can Make With Stink Beans
There are quite a few dishes that we make with stink beans. For example, you can put them in Southern Thai curries, roast and eat them with different types of nam prik (Thai chili dipping pastes or sauces), or make Thai stir fried stink beans with shrimp and pork (pictured above).
If you get to use my recipe to stir fry the beans, be sure to serve the dish with steamed rice, a fried egg and one of the following drinks:
How To Prepare This Vegetable
For fresh stink beans that come in pods, you should prepare them as soon as you can. When you leave the pods hanging around for a long time, the beans start to get less and less plump.
Preparing stink beans does take a bit of time but it's very easy. You only need a knife and a container to store them.
Here's how to prepare the beans (I highly recommend watching my video tutorial!):
- Use a knife to cut the long pod into chunks with a bean inside each of them.
- Remove the outer skin with your hands.
- Slice the inner shell open with a knife and remove the shell.
- Cut each bean into flat halves.
Tips For Preparing and Cooking Sataw
- Stink beans often have small worms inside even if there is no visible hole. Cutting the beans in half allows you to see if there are any worms you need to remove. If there are worms inside your stink beans, remove them with the point of your knife and rinse those beans.
- Cutting each bean in half also allows the beans to absorb the flavor of the ingredients you use to season your dish. This could be the Thai shrimp paste or Thai red curry paste.
- If you're not ready to use the prepared beans right away, put them in an airtight container and refrigerate. They will be good for up to about a week. If you leave them in the refrigerator for longer than that, the beans will dry, become smaller, and lose much of their flavor.
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How To Prepare Stink Beans or Petai
Instructions
- Use a knife to cut the long pod into chunks with a bean inside each of them.
- Remove the outer skin with your hands.
- Slice the inner shell open with a knife and remove the shell.
- Cut each bean into flat halves.
Video
Notes
- Stink beans often have small worms inside even if there is no visible hole. Cutting the beans in half allow you to see if there are any worms you need to remove. If there are worms inside your stink beans, remove them with the point of your knife and rinse those beans.
- Cutting each bean in half also allows the beans to absorb the flavor of the ingredients you use to season your dish. This could be the Thai shrimp paste or Thai red curry paste.
- If you're not ready to use the prepared beans right away, put them in an airtight container and refrigerate. They will be good for up to about a week. If you leave them in the refrigerator for longer than that, the beans will dry, become smaller, and lose much of their flavor.