Indian Inspired Green Beans

Sometimes you just need a different vegetable…I was looking for something green to go with the Indian chicken. Usually it’s some broccoli with a lot of sliced garlic and curry powder, but I just wasn’t in the mood. There were some nice green beans at the market and figured I could do something with them. Serves 4:

Indian Inspired Green Beans

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound string beans, stem ends trimmed
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger (about a ½”piece)

Put the beans in a microwave-safe bowl, cover and cook until crisp-tender about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Place a large skillet over high heat, and add oil. When very hot, add mustard seeds, and cook until seeds begin to pop, about 30 seconds. Add onion, and cook, stirring until it begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add ginger, and cook 1 minute more. Add the beans, and cook, stirring until hot. Season with salt to taste. Serve and enjoy!

My verdict:

A good (and easy) change from the broccoli. The onion gets nice and crispy and the ginger gives it a bit of spice. If you were really, really lazy you could just toss some of the canned fried onions (might there be some left from the Thanksgiving green bean casserole?). I was thinking that a little of the lemon curry powder that usually goes on the broccoli, might be a nice addition. If you were wondering what the difference between brown, black and yellow mustard seeds was, the black are the most pungent and expensive, while the brown and yellow will be milder. They also become nuttier rather than hotter when they’re fried (and its sort of fun to hear them pop).