French beans are a variety of beans that are long in length, though some are curved. They are slender and more tender than regular beans. The ends are tapered and pointed. As with most vegetables, they are good for Indian sabzis (sautéed vegetables). Here is a quick sabzi with frozen French beans that are pre-cut.
Paras Sem ki Sabzi (Spicy, Sautéed French Beans)
Spicy, savory French beans that go well with any Indian meal.
Ingredients
- 1 pack frozen pre-cut French beans
- ¼ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ medium onion (thinly sliced)
- 2 medium garlic cloves (peeled and thinly sliced)
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- ¼ tsp red chili powder (more or less, to taste)
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 sprig curry patta (leaves) (about 12, optional)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp fresh, or thawed, grated coconut (or 1 tbsp of almonds )
Instructions
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Then add the mustard seeds.
- As soon as they start to splutter, 30 seconds. Add the curry patta and sliced garlic. Stir 15 seconds.
- Now add the sliced onions and return the heat to medium-high. Sauté until translucent, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Add the turmeric and cumin powder, and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the frozen beans. Stir to incorporate onions and spices with the beans. Lower heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover and cook on medium-high, occasionally stirring, until all the moisture evaporates and the beans have a nice glaze. Approximately4-5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Cover the beans with a splatter guard or half cover it to let the steam escape. This ensures the beans do not get soggy.
- Pour into a serving dish and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of grated coconut or with a tablespoon of roasted slivered almonds.
Notes
You can use fresh French beans. Wash the green beans. If they are stringy, break the top branch stem part of the bean and unzip the side string. I remove both ends of the beans, but you can leave the tip if it does not look stringy. Gather a few beans together and do long cuts, diagonal cuts (about 1½-2 inches in length. Add a quarter cup of water before you cover to cook the beans, then follow the recipe.