BEANS
Beans with Coconut Milk
Green beans - 2 pounds
Coconut Milk - 2 cans
Coriander powder (Dhaniya), 2 tsp.
Sesame seeds, 2 tsp.
Cardamoma, 1 tsp
Red chillies, 3
Salt to taste
Cashew nuts, handful
Cook beans in the pressure cooker and drain. Prepare the masala by dry roasting the dhaniya, sesame, red chillies,cashew nuts and salt. Make into a paste, then add a little ghee and the beans, along with salt, and let it fry for few minutes. Add the masala paste, some water and the coconut milk and let it cook until beans are nicely done.
Chawli Ki Sabzi
2/3 cup black eyed beans (soak for 2 hours in water)
1 stalk curry leaves
1 tsp. coriander leaves finely chopped
1 tsp. red chilli powder
3/4 tsp. dhania (coriander seeds) powder
3/4 tsp. amchoor powder or juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. wheat flour
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
½ tsp. cumin seeds
3 pinches asafoetida
salt to taste
1 tsbp. ghee
Add plenty of water and pressure cook chawli beans till very tender to touch. (Approx. 4 whistles should suffice). Cool cooker before opening lid. Drain, wash with running water, drain, keep aside. Mix all dry masala and salt in 1/2 cup water. Heat ghee in heavy saucepan. Add seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida. Allow to splutter. Add masala mixture, cooked beans, 1/4 cup water, and mix well. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer covered for 3-4 minutes. When almost all water evaporates, sprinkle flour, mix and remove from fire. Cover and keep aside for 2-3 minutes. Pour into serving dish, garnish with chopped coriander, and offer hot.
Gavarfali (Cluster Beans) Ki Sabzi
1 cup Cluster Beans
1 Tbsp Gram flour (Besan)
¾ cup Curd
1 cup Water
3 Tbsp Ghee
2 Bay Leaf
A pinch Asafoetida
1 Tsp Cumin Seeds
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Turmeric Powder
2 Tsp Coriander Powder
2 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
2 Tbsp chopped Coriander Leaves
Pressure Cook Cluster Beans for 1 Whistle or steam until nearly cooked. Drain off the water and remove Beans. Make a mixture of besan, curd and water. In a little hot ghee, fry the asafoetida, cumin xeeds, and bay leaf. Next add the Cluster Beans to it and sauté well. Add all the Indian Spices and mix well. Add the besan mixture and boil the Sabzi well. Add Coriander Leaves and serve hot.
Green Beans with Peanut Butter
2 lbs green beans, whole
4 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 tsp kalonji seeds
6 green chilies, split
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp asofoetida
1 teaspoon hot curry powder
Ghee for frying
Salt and sugar to taste
In a little hot ghee sizzle kalonji seeds and split green chilies for about 30 seconds. Throw in green beans and stir, frying for 2 to 3 minutes. Add turmeric and curry powder and fry for a minute longer. Sprinkle with salt, lower heat, cover and steam for about 5 minutes. Do not over cook. Beans should still be slightly crunchy. Add sugar to taste, turn off heat, add the peanut butter (or a handful of crushed peanuts if you prefer), mix in thoroughly and offer.
Gujarati Sem
2 cups fresh French Green Beans
4 Tbsp Ghee
1 Tbsp Mustard Seeds
2 whole Red Chilli, crushed
Salt to taste
½ Tsp Sugar
Freshly Ground Black Pepper to Taste
2 Tbsp chopped Coriander Leaves
Trim the Beans and cut into 1 inch length. Blanch the beans. In a little hot ghee fry the mustard seeds until they splutter, then crushed red chilli, green beans, salt and sugar. Stir and cook until nicely done. Add black pepper and coriander leaves, and offer.
Kerala Mizhukku Puratti (Vegetable Fry)
Green beans - 2 cups, chopped
Plantains or green bananas, cubed - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Ghee for frying
Soak the plantains in warm water and turmeric. Drain well and cook with salt. Cook the beans separately in a little water. Heat the ghee and add the beans (drain off any excess water first). Stir for a minute and then add the plantains. Stir till nice and browned.
Masaledar Sem
1 1/2 lb. Green beans
1-1/2" fresh ginger, minced
1 cup Water
4 tblsp Ghee
3 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp asofoetida
2 medium Tomatoes, peeled and chopped
Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper
3 tblsp Lemon juice
Trim the ends of the beans and cut in half crosswise. Put ginger into a food processor and add 1/2 cup water. Blend until fairly smooth. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy saucepan over a medium flame. When hot, put in the asofoetida and cumin seeds. Stir for half a minute. Pour in the ginger paste. Stir and cook for about two minutes. Add the coriander and stir a few times. Add chopped tomatoes. Stir and cook for 2 minutes while mashing the tomato pieces with the back of a slotted spoon. Put in the beans and salt and one cup of water and simmer them. Cover, turn heat to low and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the beans are tender. Remove the cover. Add the lemon juice and a generous amount of freshly ground pepper. Turn up the heat and boil away the remaining liquid, stirring gently.
Punjab Lobhia (Blackeye) Curry
2 cups blackeye beans
Salt to taste
1-1/2 tsp coriander powder
3/4 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp ghee
¾” fresh ginger root, minced
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 medium tomato, chopped
Soak beans overnight in water, covered generously. Next day, drain beans, cover with fresh water and bring to boil. Add salt, coriander, cumin and turmeric. Simmer until beans are just tender, about 30 to 45 minutes. Heat ghee in deep saucepan. Add ginger and cumin. Fry 10 minutes and add tomato. Cook another 5 minutes and add beans and cooking liquid. Continue to simmer, uncovered, until beans are soft but not completely dissolved. Mixture should be soupy.
Sri Lanka Bean Curry
1 lb (450 g) Beans, chopped
1-2 hot green Chilies, sliced
Sprig of Curry leaves
1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds
1 tbs curry powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup thick Coconut milk (or fresh milk)
1 tbs Ghee
Salt to taste
2 tsp. Lime juice
Heat ghee in a saucepan. Add green chilies and curry leaves, fry for a minute, then add the curry powder, salt, turmeric and fenugreek seeds. Stir and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the cut beans and mix well until beans are well coated with the spices. Reduce heat and allow the beans to cook. Add the coconut milk and allow to simmer for a few more minutes. Add a dash of lime juice and salt, and offer.
Sri Lanka Curried Green Beans
1/2 lb Green beans
2 tblspns ghee
2 tblspns curry powder
1 tblspns mustard
1 tspn turmeric powder
1 tsp asofoetida
Salt to taste
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Add the beans to a pan containing ghee at low heat. Fry the beans at medium to low heat at for 5 minutes. Add curry powder, mustard, turmeric, , salt and cinnamon, mix well and cook for 3 minutes at low heat.
