Hyacinth beans are long, flat, and slightly curved, growing up to twenty centimetres in length. The shell is green, smooth, and soft to the touch. Inside the pod, the fibre is moist and contains three to six oval-shaped seeds which can be black, tan, white-green, or green depending on the variety.

Hyacinth bean is also known as Aaina Uri, Sheem bean Sem bean Semphali, Indian field bean, Lablab bean, Egyptian kidney bean, Avarakkai,Vaal,Broad bean.

Hyacinth beans are believed to have come from Africa and then spread to India between 1600 and 1500 BCE. Aina Uri beans can be found at markets and specialty stores throughout India and in select cities throughout Asia, Europe, and the United States.