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Bihari Green Beans Masala

5.0(315)

This succulent green bean dish, in a gently spiced sauce of coconut milk, is from Bihar, a state in India. “It is an everyday, simple dish that is several hundred years old,” said Julie Sahni, a cooking teacher, and author of eight cookbooks. The dish requires fresh green string beans, not French haricot verts or Asian long beans, which are thinner, and more dense. “The string beans will plump up, and absorb some of the sauce,” said Ms. Sahni. The recipe can be adapted for 12 ounces of raw cauliflower, carrots, eggplant, or brussels sprouts. For the eggplant, Ms. Sahni uses the long, slender Japanese ones, and cuts them on the diagonal, in one-inch slices. She trims and peels the carrots, and cuts them like the eggplant, in one-inch diagonal slices. For the cauliflower, she uses the florets, and cuts them in pieces that are one and a half inches in diameter. For Brussels sprouts, she trims and discards the stems, and cuts the vegetable in half. Very fresh cauliflower cooks in four minutes, the other vegetables in six minutes, Ms. Sahni said.

by Elaine Louie

Open original recipe

IndianDinner, Lunch

Servings

(2–3)

Total time

40 min

Calories / serving

286 kcal

Ingredients (13)

serves

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or light olive oiloil
2 tablespoons sliced almondsalmond
1/2 cup finely chopped oniononion
3 large cloves garlic, finely choppedgarlic
1 teaspoon ground cumincumin
1 teaspoon ground coriandercoriander
1 teaspoon sweet paprikapaprika
1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon kosher saltsalt
3/4 cup coconut milkcoconut-milk
3/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch piecesgreen-beans
1 teaspoon lime juicelime-juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro.cilantro

Instructions (4 steps)

01Heat the oil in a 3-quart sauté pan over medium heat. Add almonds and cook, stirring, until light golden. Remove from heat and transfer almonds to a plate or bowl; set aside for garnish.
02Add onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, chili pepper flakes and salt to the unwashed sauté pan, and return to medium heat. Sauté until the onion is tender and begins to fry, about 4 minutes.