Green beans stir fried with coconut, and rich Indian spices - this South Indian dish is a healthy way to enjoy a stir fry with some rice or flatbread and comes together in just 30 minutes!
3dried Indian red chili adjust to your spice tolerance!
1teaspoonsalt
Green Bean Stir Fry
1tablespoonvegetable oil
1teaspoonmustard seedsoptional, can skip
1tablespoonurad dalsee notes for substitutions
1lbgreen beanstrimmed, sliced into 1-2" pieces
½teaspoonsaltadjust to your taste levels
¼cupunsweetened desiccated coconut
Instructions
Start by trimming the ends of a pound of green beans, and chop them into small, 1-2" pieces. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add the green beans and cook for ~5 minutes to soften them. They'll still have a bit of a bite, but that's good! You don't want them mushy.
Add a tablespoon each of urad dal and chana dal, 2-3 red chilis, and a teaspoon of salt to a spice grinder and dry grind into a fine powder. Note: If you don't have these lentils on hand, you can substitute by using just one of them, by using toor dal or masoor dal (red lentils) to replace both of them, or by simply using crushed peanuts instead.
Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to a large skillet followed by a teaspoon of mustard seeds and a tablespoon of urad dal. Note: If you don't have urad dal, replace with toor dal or masoor dal or crushed peanuts.
Drain the green beans and add to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then, add the dry spice mixture and give it a good mix. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Taste and adjust salt.
Finally, turn the heat to low, and add your shredded / desiccated coconut and give it all a good mix to combine and turn off the heat. Serve hot!
Notes
Lentil Substitutions:This recipe uses two common types of Indian lentils - urad dal and chana dal. However, I understand you might not have these on hand, so I want to share some substitutions. You can use toor dal (a great, multi-purpose split yellow lentil I highly recommend if you're into Indian cooking), masoor dal (traditional red lentils, found at most grocery stores) or simply just crush up some peanuts for both the spice mixture and the sautéing. Note that the recipe taste will differ slightly based on which path you take, but it'll be delicious!Red Chili Pepper Substitutions:Indian dried red chili is a really unique and rich taste that's not just spicy. However, if you don't have these on hand, I suggest using a teaspoon of red pepper flakes in the spice mixture and leaving it out of the sautéing step. I find using red pepper flakes in the sauté step makes it too spicy.