Ingredients
A glug of oil (any type will do)
A heaped tbsp cumin seeds
Tbsp coriander seeds
Tsp chilli flakes (optional)
Tsp mustard seeds (optional)
One large onion
A thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
Two cloves of garlic
Tsp turmeric
Tbsp ground cumin
200g green beans
A handful of fresh coriander leaves
Jasmine or basmati rice
Method
1. To start, dice one large onion, then add a glug of olive oil into a pan on a high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin and coriander seeds to the pan and wait until they start to pop; you don’t want them to burn, so once they’re popping add the diced onion into the pan. If you want a little extra flavour, you can also throw in the mustard seeds and chilli flakes at this stage.
2. Fry the diced onion with the spices on a medium heat until softened, mixing with a wooden spoon every so often. If the onions start to stick the pan, you can loosen them by adding a splash of water or oil and giving them a stir.
3. While the onions are frying, finely chop or grate the fresh ginger and garlic, making sure to remove the ginger skin. Once chopped, add them to the pan with the onions, followed by the turmeric and ground cumin. As your mix continues to simmer on the heat, you can turn to topping and tailing the green beans. Once both ends are trimmed, add the green beans to the pan.
4. After a quick stir, it’s time for the coconut milk. Add the whole can, thick top layer and all. Now, leave the curry to sit and cook on a low heat, allowing the sauce to thicken.
5. After 10 minutes, stir in the juice of a whole squeezed lemon. You may need to turn up the heat if the sauce isn’t thickening, so keep an eye out. Now, prepare your corriander leaves by running your knife down the bunch, slicing the leaves from the stems. Once the curry sauce has thickened and the green beans are cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the coriander, leaving some for garnish.
6. Serve your green bean curry with jasmine or basmati rice, topped with the remaining chopped coriander leaves.
image: eltpics via flickr