Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus)

The winged bean, Psophocarpus tetragonolobus, is a tropical climbing bean whose pods have four frilly wings running along their length. Almost every part is edible: young pods, leaves, flowers, seeds and the starchy tubers. Researchers once called it a one-species supermarket. It is grown in north-east India, Kerala and backyard gardens across tropical Asia.

Botanical name: Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC.
Family: Fabaceae
Tamil: Palakkai
Hindi: Chaudhari sem
Parts used: Young pods, Leaves, Tubers
Habit: Four-winged yard bean
Last updated: 2026-10-26

How to recognise Winged bean

It is a vigorous, twining perennial vine usually grown as an annual, with leaves of three broad, pointed leaflets.

Flowers are large and pale blue to purple.

The pods are four-sided, with a frilled wing along each corner, so they look square in cross-section.

The mature seeds are round and brown to black, and the roots form swollen tubers.

Traditional use of Winged bean

Kitchen

Young pods are sliced into stir-fries, curries and salads across Southeast Asia and north-east India. Flowers and young leaves are cooked like spinach.

Southeast Asian and north-east Indian food practice

North-east India

In Manipur and Meghalaya the young pods are eaten in salads or cooked with fermented fish, and the vines are trained on bamboo frames around homes.

North-east Indian food practice

Modern notes on Winged bean

The seeds are very high in protein, comparable to soybeans, and the tubers have far more protein than most root crops.

Mature seeds, like many legume seeds, contain anti-nutrients and must be cooked well.

Winged bean safety

Cook mature seeds thoroughly. Young pods and leaves are eaten cooked.

Ecology and sourcing

It is thought to have originated in New Guinea or Southeast Asia and thrives in hot, humid climates.

It fixes nitrogen, so it improves garden soil.

It needs short days to flower well, so in India it flowers mainly in the cooler months.

Related plants

Also in Fabaceae

Questions about Winged bean

Why winged bean?

The pods have four frilly wings.

Which parts are edible?

Pods, leaves, flowers, seeds and tubers, all cooked.

What older names does Psophocarpus tetragonolobus go by?

Dolichos tetragonolobus.

How do I grow Winged bean?

Sow at the start of the rains, beside a trellis. Pods form as the days shorten.

Sources

Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.