Farasvi chi Bhajee (Stir-Fried Green Beans)

I needed a vegetable side. There are lots of great vegetable curries in the book. Unfortunately we're running pretty low on veggies right now, so I couldn't make most of them. I did, however, have a bag of green beans in the freezer though, so I was able to pull this simple curry together without having to go shopping. (Win!)

Farasvi chi Bhajee

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. rock salt or coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp. cardamom seeds (from green pods)
• 1-3 dried red Thai, cayenne, or arbol chilies, stems removed
• 1/4. fresh cilantro
• 1/2 c. shredded fresh coconut¹
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 15 fresh curry leaves
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 450g green beans²
• 1/2 c. water

Directions

1. Combine the salt, mustard seeds, cardamom seeds, and chilies in a molcajete (or large mortar) and grind.
2. Add the cilantro and mash until pulpy.
3. Add the coconut and continue grinding and mashing.
4. Fold in the lime juice, sugar, turmeric, and curry leaves. Set aside.
5. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
6. Add cumin seeds and sizzle for a few seconds.
7. Add beans and stir-fry for ~5 minutes.
8. Add water.
9. If using fresh beans, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for a few minutes. If using frozen beans, proceed directly to the next step and skip the simmering.
10. Add the coconut mixture and cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.

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¹ Or reconstitute some unsweetened dried coconut. Pour 1/4 c. of boiling water over 1/4 c. of dried coconut. Allow to rest for 15 minutes, then drain. ^Back
2 I was a bit shy on beans, so I ended up tossing in a few green chickpeas to make up the difference. We all quite enjoyed it, so I'd happily do that variation again in the future. ^Back