There are times when improvising on age-old recipes to streamline fat content is called for. Then there are those times when hybrids simply don`t work. Today I`ll share a classic that doesn’t need any modernizing other than an oil reduction. Simple, quick to make and pretty to look at, green beans coconut curry is southern Indian food at its very sublime.
| Ingredients 2 cups fresh green beans Spice Mix |
Preparation time 15 minutes Serves 4 Pots n pans
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Method
- Wash and chop green beans finely. Don`t scrimp on this step, this is what gets the real flavour of the beans out.
SOS this recipe really does take about 15 minutes to make from start to finish. However I got lost in the wonder of the green beans that I grew from seed…Dear reader, may I suggest you try to grow these in your own yard. The benefits are—tender, fresh, and flavourful beans that cook quickly. If you`re going grocery shopping, pick tender beans for the best curry. - Heat oil in wok or fry pan. Add mustard seeds, let splutter. Then add urad dal and let lightly brown. Quickly add curry leaf, and red chili.
- Add beans and stir on high heat till beans are cooked al dente.
- Add salt to taste and grated coconut. Cover pan and switch off stove.
- Best served with tomato lentil soup and some cooked rice.
SOS There are those who would make these beans with lots of oil. Don`t listen to them when they tell you this curry needs all that oil. Make it this suggested way and discover for yourself how light and tasty this curry can be with just a teaspoon of oil.
Health benefits
For centuries coconut has been used in my Indian homeland. Yet its got a bad rap as 
being an unhealthy fat mainly because of the focus on high saturated fat. And its a fact, coconut oil is about 92 percent saturated fat! But the fatty acids in coconut oil are primarily medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are more easily metabolized by the body than the long-chain triglycerides found in most vegetable and seed oils.Research suggests that MCTs may help stoke your metabolism, thereby promoting weight loss, and even increasing HDL or “good” cholesterol levels in the body. Ever since a work lunch-n-learn where I learnt this fact, I made the switch to coconut oil and happily went back to my coconut loving roots and I feel so much better and lighter after meals than I ever did before.
Fun facts
The oldest fossils known of the modern coconut date from the Eocene period from around 37 to 55 million years ago and were found in Australia and India. The coconut tree is called Kalpa Vriksha in India which means a tree that gives all that is necessary for living. Hope you find this curry gives you all the flavours and nutrition your soul needs.
charuyoga 