green beans

[mongo_jones]

hi all, i'm looking for a new way to cook grean beans. i'm open to all suggestions that don't include more than 5 minutes of prep time or more than 7 ingredients (including spices and condiments).

[specialteach]

This isn't an Indian reipe but is still amazing and meets your criteria. Hope that is okay. Sorry about the relaxed nature of the recipe but it was passed down from my mother...

Slice a red onion into rings.

Toss red onions, green beans and peeled garlic cloves with good olive oil.

Roast in a 450 degree oven for about 30-45 minutes. The veggies are done roasting when the beans are just starting to brown.

Toss with balsamic vinager, salt, pepper and a bit more olive oil.

[Suvir Saran]

Mongo, I have a very simple recipe I would be willing to share. My cookbook has a few bean recipes, and this is one of them. I have posted so many recipes over the last year or so, that my editor may be very cross if I post more from this first book.

email me at chef@suvir.com, and I shall be delighted to send you the recipe. Like the Kaddu recipe, this is very simple and basic. You could add to it as you please and make it become a recipe uniquely yours.

[M65]

Mongo,

Even though u despise my Contemporary Indian cooking Email me at Mel@BistroM.com, for a recipe, less than 3 mins if u have 26000 BTU burner or more. Ciao

Regards

Mel

[M65]

Mongo,

I take it that u are Bengali, my recipe would be a cross between Bhaja and Tempura, Lots of flavor and harly much work or clean up, u are very welcome to post this recipe too minus the chutney that i would recccomend you.

[Monica Bhide]

Mongo,

Even though u despise my Contemporary Indian cooking Email me at Mel@BistroM.com, for a recipe, less than 3 mins if u have 26000 BTU burner or more. Ciao

Regards

Mel

I would love to see your recipe as well.. as I am sure many others would as well. Can I request you to post it online??

[Monica Bhide]

Mongo -- I have two simple recipes for you that I love to make. One is from my first book Spice is Right:

"This is my version of the green bean casserole that is part of a traditional Thanksgiving meal".

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

pinch of asafetida

1/2 pound chopped green beans (fresh or frozen)

1 dried red chile

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon red chile powder

1 cup water

salt to taste

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro )

1 tablespoon unsweetened desiccated coconut

1 teaspoon butter

Method

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.

Add the mustard seeds and asafetida. When the mustard seeds begin to crackle, add the green beans. Sauté for 1 minute.

Add the dried chile, turmeric, and chile powder. Sauté for 2 minutes.

Add the water and salt. Cook, uncovered, until the beans are tender and all the water is absorbed (about 10 minutes).

Add the coriander, coconut, and butter; sauté for about another minute to mix all the flavors.

Serve hot.

Tip:

Do not overcook the beans or they will lose color and texture. If you are using frozen beans, you can save cooking time by precooking the beans in the microwave. Skip the stage of adding the water and cooking.

Variations:

You can add 1/2 cup of diced potatoes to this dish. Add the potatoes before adding the green beans and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Then add the green beans and continue with the recipe.

Serves 6

The other one is quite simple as well -- follow the above recipe, but instead of coconut -- add slivered almonds -- lots of them..

Enjoy!!

[Suvir Saran]

Mongo -- I have two simple recipes for you that I love to make. One is from my first book Spice is Right:

"This is my version of the green bean casserole that is part of a traditional Thanksgiving meal".

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

pinch of asafetida

1/2 pound chopped green beans (fresh or frozen)

1 dried red chile

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon red chile powder

1 cup water

salt to taste

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro )

1 tablespoon unsweetened desiccated coconut

1 teaspoon butter

Method

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.

Add the mustard seeds and asafetida. When the mustard seeds begin to crackle, add the green beans. Sauté for 1 minute.

Add the dried chile, turmeric, and chile powder. Sauté for 2 minutes.

Add the water and salt. Cook, uncovered, until the beans are tender and all the water is absorbed (about 10 minutes).

Add the coriander, coconut, and butter; sauté for about another minute to mix all the flavors.

Serve hot.

Tip:

Do not overcook the beans or they will lose color and texture. If you are using frozen beans, you can save cooking time by precooking the beans in the microwave. Skip the stage of adding the water and cooking.

Variations:

You can add 1/2 cup of diced potatoes to this dish. Add the potatoes before adding the green beans and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Then add the green beans and continue with the recipe.

Serves 6

The other one  is quite simple as well -- follow the above recipe, but instead of coconut -- add slivered almonds -- lots of them..

Enjoy!!

Mongo, thanks to you for having encouraged Mel and Monica to post more frequently.

I did not read your comments as despise. But I guess I am far to forgiving even with those that hit me on the face.

Thanks Mel for continuing to post on the Indian forum, as your fellow eGullet member, it gives me great joy to have one as talented as you in our midst. Never take discussions personally. eGullet is at its best when we share, debate and evoke without personal hurt if things are said that are against our grain. For the most part, they are not about any one person, but they are a dialog on the net, that unlike social gatherings in homes or restaurants.... has no way of being explained or the advantage of unspoken (without words, written or spoken) communication. We have emoticons.. but they hardly do what body language does.

I could have been very angry at Mongo in the Bhel thread... and I saw many come to defend me... and yet, I still have not found any need for that... Mongo started a great discussion about street food.. and used Bhel at Amma as an example and starting point.

Mel, do share some recipes with us. Please. I am sure us members of eGullet would be delighted. And the officials of this site would have much to be happy about too. Content is what this is about. Not any personal dialogue really. But that develops as and when you find yourself deeply addicted to this site.

Monica, thanks for sharing this recipe. I have it to read in your book. It is identical to what I have in my own book... I do not eat beans myself, but most people enjoy this recipe thoroughly. Where did you first eat this? Any memories associated with it? Please share.

I had first eaten it at the house of my father's boss. They were from Karnataka and made tons of these stir fries and each were simple and pretty. And tasty too.

[mongo_jones]

Mongo,

Even though u despise my Contemporary Indian cooking Email me at Mel@BistroM.com, for a recipe, less than 3 mins if u have 26000 BTU burner or more. Ciao

Regards

Mel

well, despising it is putting it a little too strongly; to say i am bemused by most descriptions of contemporary indian cuisine would be a better description (for all the reasons both i and vikram have posted in various threads in the past). and it really has nothing to do with you--i haven't eaten your cooking so i can't say if i would despise it. if it makes you feel any better i've had adverse reactions to the fusion cuisine of such luminaries as wolfgang puck (at chinois on main and the now defunct indochine) and joachim splichal (at patina) whose food i have eaten.

why don't you post the green beans recipe here? i'm sure other people would love to see it too.

[M65]

Mongo,

I thought of another dish you can do with green beans, same chutney can be used in this case. Here it is.

Masala Tempuras with Apricot - Gari Chutney

Ingredients For the Masala Tempuras:

Oil for deep frying, preferably peanut

1 egg yolk

1 cup soda water

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

Pinch of roasted coarse cumin powder

Pinch of Pav Bhaji Masala

Pinch of Chili Powder, (my personal preference is Reshampatti Chilies)

Salt as per taste

1 ½ lbs of washed green beans

Ingredients For the Apricot - Gari Chutney:

½ cup of Apricot Preserve

1 0z Mirin

Tablespoon of Gari (Pickled Ginger)

2 cloves

Pinch of Cinnamon Powder

1 green Chili Minced very fine

1 Deseeded Finely Chopped Dried red Chili

1 Tsp Butter

1 Sprig of Curry Leaf

Freshly ground Black Pepper

For the Tempuras

In a large bowl beat egg yolk with soda water until thoroughly combined. Quickly stir in flour and cornstarch, and all the remainder ingredients for the batter except cumin powder, gentle whisking is recommended. Refrigerate the batter for 20- 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a deep pan or a fryer to 350 degrees F

Dip the green beans in the batter and, using tongs, transfer to the hot cooking oil, a few at a time. Cook until they are crisp and light golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to plates covered with paper towels to drain. Sprinkle Roasted Cumin Powder on the Tempuras

For the Chutney:

Heat the butter in a sauté pan and add the curry leaf sprig to it to infuse the flavor, remove the curry leaf and then add the dried chili, cloves and Mirin, cook for a minute or two and then add apricot preserve to it, heat gently so it forms a nice thick syrupy consistency. (Almost like a Glace)

Just before pulling off of the heat add in the Gari and Minced Green Chili and Fresh ground Black Pepper (we use Tellicherry)

The Chutney will turn out to be spicy sweet, acidity can be adjusted to suite personal taste.

As a variation I have occasionally done a quick stir-fry of these Tempuras with mustard seeds, fresh cilantro, more

Pav Bhaji Masala and finished them off with a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of hot paprika. No Chutney needed in this case.

Wine Pairing: A young Gruner Veltliner or a Spatlese Riesling