Tangy, spicy, nourishing and filling. I came across this one day when my parents were visiting, when we were hungry, but didn’t want to order takeout. I looked in the fridge, saw green beans and potato. Then this magic happened. While it’s not a traditional combination, this dish has become my go-to for when I’m craving healthy Indian food. Soft red potatoes, with a nice bite from green beans in a tangy, spicy ginger-garlic spiced sauce. The tomatoes make it tangy and I allow the “gravy” to catch and burn a little bit (in a nonstick skillet), so I get a lovely smoky flavor. eave the potato skins on for extra nutrients.
Green beans in Indian cooking is cooked a LOT longer than in western cuisine where it is blanched or steamed. You cook it until the bite is almost gone. But I assure you it tastes delicious!
Once you understand the basics of what goes into a “sabzi,” it becomes pretty easy to make variations with different vegetables. What makes them stand out is the texture! One thing to remember is that in Indian cooking, vegetables are usually cooked until they are soft. In western cooking, it is common to blanch or steam the green beans so it retains its bright color. Don’t worry about that. Feel free to cook the crap out of these green beans in this dish. You may add more water for more of a gravy, but I like to keep this dish dry and serve with a nice hearty dal, like my mom’s yellow tarka dal.
RED POTATO AND GREEN BEANS SABZI
Ingredients
- 1 bag of green beans
- 2-3 red potatoes
- 1/2 a red onion chopped
- 2-3 to tomatoes on the vine depending on the size. 2 Large tomatoes would suffice, diced
- 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste or 2 cloves of garlic and 1/2 nub ginger grated
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 3/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder or cayenne
- optional: kasuri methi dried fenugreek
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Cut the potatoes and green beans into bite sized pieces. Prep all the other veggies.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of a mild-flavored oil, like canola or sunflower. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds.
- When the cumin seeds sputter, add the onion. Saute until translucent.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and stir to combine.
- Now, add the spices: turmeric, chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and season with salt.
- Add the tomatoes and allow the mixture to reduce.
- Add the potatoes and cover. Reduce the flame to medium, allow the potatoes to steam, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. If the tomatoes catch or burn slightly on the bottom, no problem! Just add a little bit of water to deglaze the pan. This adds to the flavor.
- Add the green beans. Stir to combine, and salt once more to taste. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through.
- As a final added step, add a dash of cinnamon powder and a pinch of kasuri methi (up to 1 tsp).
- Garnish with cilantro and serve!
