Green Beans with Onion Paste

Thanks to Colleen for sharing this with us at the reunion, and to Madhur Jaffrey for creating the recipe!

1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans

1 medium-sized onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped

A piece of fresh ginger, about 1 inch square, coarsely chopped

1 medium-sized canned tomato, coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

10 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon whole black mustard seeds

Optional - 1 or 2 whole dried red peppers OR 1/2 hot fresh green chili sliced in half OR 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

2 teaspoons lemon juice (or to taste)

Garnish - 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

Wash the beans. Trim the ends. Slice the beans into rounds about 1/8" - 1/4" thick. Put the onion, garlic, ginger, tomato and turmeric in a blender and blend into a smooth paste. Put 6 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in an deep heavy-bottomed pan, and heat it on medium. Pour in mixture from blender and fry for about 5 minutes, stirring all the time, adding a teaspoon of warm water if it starts to stick to the bottom. Now put in the coriander and cumin and continue frying another 5 minutes, again adding a teaspoon of warm water if necessary to prevent sticking.

In a 10-inch skillet, heat the remaining tablespoons of oil over a medium flame. When very hot, put in the whole cumin and mustard seeds. After 10 seconds, add the whole red peppers if you are using them. Stir once, and as the peppers darken and the mustard seeds begin to pop, put in the sliced green beans and the sliced green chili if you are using it. Now scrape up all the mixture from the first skillet and add it to the beans. Fry the beans on medium flame for 5 minutes, stirring all the time. Turn heat to low, add the salt and lemon juice, and let the beans cook covered, stirring now and then, until they are tender (about 35-45 minutes). If you are using cayenne pepper, stir in 5 minutes before the end of cooking time. If the beans stick to the skillet, add 1 tablespoon of water, stir and keep cooking.

These beans can be cooked in advance and reheated over a low flame. Serve them in a warm dish, and if you like sprinkle finely chopped Chinese parsley over them.

Cook's Tips: Fry the mixture from the blender in a deep heavy pot to keep splatter down. Make sure you fry the mixture well, it's essential to the overall flavor of the dish. 

© Kelly's Cookbook 2017