French beans with peanuts

French beans with peanuts

-Brian Mendonca
 

Vegetable
French beans/farasbi   - 400 gms

Cooking medium

Coconut oil                   -  2 spoons

Flavours

Asafoetida/ Hing          - 1 pinch

Goda masala                 - 2 spoons

Turmeric/ Haldi            - 2 spoons

Salt                                   -To taste

Chilli powder                 -1 pinch

Mustard seeds / Rai      -1 spoon

Fresh curry leaves        -2 sprigs

Garnishing

Grounded peanuts        -1/2 cup

Powdered jaggery               -2 spoons

Lime                                  -2 spoons

Method

Wash the French beans in a colander. Snip off the tails and the ends to cut pieces of 1 inch each. Keep aside. Put oil in a skillet/kadai and flick in some mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Add the asafoetida and the curry leaves. Add the French beans; add salt and saute for 5 minutes. Then add turmeric, goda masala, and chilly powder. Mix well. Leave to cook for 10 minutes. Place lid over the kadai and put water over it. Once it is steaming and a little soft, add the jaggery and the groundnuts. Mix well. Sprinkle a generous helping of lime, Let it cook on sim for some time. If it is dry and the base burns, add a little water. Serve with hot rotis or rice and dal.

Duration

It took close to two hours to get this done. I like to cook in the morning. I began today at around 7.45 a.m. and was done by 9.45 a.m.

 

Backstory
Was inspired to make this after eating the delicious Maharashtrian vegetarian fare during our recent visit to Mumbai. This preparation has no onions, tomatoes, or potatoes, or chillies which are often the staple in other vegetables. This is my third stab at making sabji in the house. The earlier two were cluster beans, and lady fingers. Both turned out well. 

Tip

I sit down at the dining table and cut the French beans. That leaves me less fatigued when the cooking is done. 

Most anxious moment

After peeling the peanuts I placed the peels aside. In the final stages, when it came to pitching in the peanuts I almost dunked in the peels! 

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Recipe from archanaskitchen(dot)com