Friday, September 26, 2008

Recipe: South Indian Green Beans

ayurveda green beansSometimes, believe it or not, I crave Indian food. And when I do, I like to have a side of green beans on hand. Especially when they are in season, as they are right now.

This dish is so simple to make and goes great with brown basmati rice and rajma. Most ingredients are relatively easy to find, with the exception of curry leaves. Most natural food stores have started to carry them (generally with the herbs), and you can of course find them at ethnic grocery stores.

And yes, it can be ready in only 15 minutes!

Serves 2-3

1/2 lb green beans, edges trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp whole or ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
4 curry leaves
olive oil

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high setting. Add mustard seeds and wait until they begin to make a popping sound. This means the oil is warm enough. Then add turmeric, cumin, coriander, garlic, and curry leaves. Saute for about a minute, allowing flavors to infuse.

Next, add green beans and a tiny bit of water (maybe 1/8 cup). Reduce heat to medium and cook for another 5 minutes, until green beans are cooked, but not too soft. Add salt and cook for another minute or so.

Note: If you desire a sweeter taste, you may also add a bit of agave nectar (1/2 tsp or so) or shredded coconut.

4 comments:

Florida Indian Cuisine Lover said...

My husband, being from Bombay, craves Indian cuisine and our garden is overloaded with grean beans, so I decided to give this a try. Very happy I did! We had it with Saag (from the garden also) and Chicken, Basmati and Naan. Wonderful meal. Thank you.

Kathy - My Online Meals said...

Thanks for the recipe. Id love this to go with a nice big juicy well done steak and a tall glass of Pimms - it would be perfect!

Rachel said...

A DEVINE green bean dish. Had this with a dry chicken curry and Bombay potatos and it complimented the other dishes. Could have just eaten a huge plate of these beans. I added some dessicated coconut as suggested.

Megh P. said...

Tried it with 450 g extra-fine frozen french beans, lightly microwave-defrosted for 2 mins, added 2 tsp water just after the beans, covered for 1 minute, then sauteed for 4 to 5 mins until all water gone and beans glazed. Excellent recipe!

Integrative Nutrition