Green Beans with Coconut

This is a very quick dish with a lot of flavors and few ingredients. Green beans are stir fried with a hint of spice and fresh coconut.

I do not remember how or when my maa had started cooking this. Her style and and the recipe must have been influenced by our close friends from the southern regions of India. Kerala has a similar dish called Beans Thoran, though I am not sure if it is done in the exact same way.

Anyway, I had loved this as a child and now my kids eat it with similar enthusiasm and more like a salad than as a side with rice we are used to.

Here is a simple and healthy recipe from home.

 

 

Green Beans with Coconut

 

Ingredients: (serves 3-4 as a side)

1. 1 lb green beans, stringed and chopped in small pieces (or you may use frozen beans, or the thin French Styled sliced ones as I have done her)
2. ½  cup onion very thinly sliced into half moons
3. 1 clove garlic
4. 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
5. 2 tablespoons oil
6. 3 tablespoon grated coconut – fresh or frozen
7. 10 fresh curry leaves
8. 2 hot chili pepper, like Thai Bird (Optional)
9. salt to taste

 

 

Method:

 

Heat oil in a pan/wok.

Add all of the mustard seeds.

When they start to splutter add the sliced onions and garlic and stir it around in medium heat till they are just glazed (do not brown them).

Add the green beans, salt, curry leaves and green chili.

Stir it around to coat the oil.

Cover and let it cook till they are soft but haven’t lost their green color. Might take about 5-10 minutes.

Add the  coconut and cover and let it cook for another five minutes.

Switch off the heat and let it stay covered for a couple of minutes.

Serve hot as a side dish or with hot rice or Roti.

 

Preparation Time: less than 15 minutes

Cooking Time: less than 15 minutes

Difficulty Level: Easy

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