French beans, French beans all the way. Presenting a Thali with French beans as the hero. All these preparations of French beans can be enjoyed both with rice or Roti.
These cauliflower and onion fritters were a staple at my maternal household during the rains. Any type of Pakora/ bhajia was welcome, but this in particular was a favourite one. I relived those fond memories today as the rain beat incessantly against the French windows. Hot pakoras and a cup of masala chai…. absolute bliss!.
Ingredients:
A medium sized cauliflower broken into florets. (21 bite sized florets to be precise)
3 tbsps finely chopped onion
2 tbsps finely chopped green chillies
1/2 tsp Ajwain crushed gently
1 tsp asafoetida powder
2 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp lemon juice
200 gms Besan/ chickpea flour
Salt
Oil to fry the pakora.
Method:
Soak the cauliflower florets for about ten minutes into water to which is added a teaspoon of salt. Drain. Wash well and pat dry.
Tip the Besan, chopped coriander leaves, onion, green chillies, ajwain, salt, lemon juice and asafoetida powder into a bowl. Add a little water at a time and prepare a lump free batter of dropping consistency. Mix thoroughly. Keep aside.
Heat the oil in a pan.Drop a blob of batter into the hot oil. If it rises to the surface immediately, lower heat. Coat about 7-8 florets with the prepared batter and drop them into the hot oil. Fry on a medium flame to a rich golden brown. Drain on a kitchen paper towel. Serve as is or with tomato ketchup.
This flat beans Kuzhambu from the Tamilnadu cuisine goes well with both rice or roti. You can adjust the consistency as per preference. I normally enjoy it as an accompaniment to curd rice. This is a medium spicy preparation.
Ingredients:
250 gms flat beans
1 tbsp ghee
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 sprigs curry leaves
A pinch of turmeric powder
7 tbsps grated coconut
2 heaped tbsps Sambhar powder
1 tbsp Kashmiri chilly powder
1 level tbsp tamarind paste or as per preference
100 gms toor dal pressure cooked and mashed
Salt.
Method:
String the flat beans, open them and place aside the mature seeds if any. Wash and chop the flat beans.
Grind the grated coconut , sambhar powder, chilly powder and tamarind to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
Heat the ghee in a pan. Add the mustard seeds. After they splutter, drop in the curry leaves. Add the chopped flat beans, turmeric powder, salt and saute for a couple of minutes. Add half a glass of water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and add the ground masala and cooked toor dal.
Adjust consistency by adding enough water as per requirement. Bring to a roaring boil, lower heat and allow to simmer for five minutes till all the aromas are infused. Remove from heat and serve hot.
Here is a delicious and extremely easy to make Subzi from the Gujarati cuisine. Cauliflower which is known as Fulaver, potato as Bataka and tomato as tamater in Gujarati is an accompaniment to either Roti or Bhakri.
Ingredients:
400 gms Cauliflower separated into florets
3 medium sized potatoes cubed
3 large tomato chopped fine
2 tbsps coriander powder
1 heaped tsp cumin powder
1 heaped tsp Kashmiri chilly powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp sugar
Salt
2 tbsps oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
Finely chopped coriander for garnish.
Method:
Steep the cauliflower florets into salted water. Rinse and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and after they splutter drop in the potatoes and a little salt. Toss, cover and cook on a slow flame till they are half done. Drop in the cauliflower, salt, sugar, coriander, cumin, red chilly and turmeric powder. Mix well. Cover and cook for a couple of minutes. Drop in the tomatoes and about 1/4th glass of water. Cook till done. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.
A simple, delicious and fragrant flat beans stir fry which is popular with the Konkani community. The flat beans are first strung, the pods opened and the mature seeds of any separated. The pods are then washed, chopped and stir fried in a teaspoon of oil with the bare minimum of seasoning..
The mature seeds are used along with potatoes in a coconut based gravy.
Ingredients:
250 gms flat beans strung, washed and chopped
2 dry red chillies
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard
A pinch of jaggery
Salt
2 tbsps grated coconut.
Method:
Heat the oil in a pan. Drop in the mustard. After it splitters add the red chilly bits and toss. Drop in the beans, jaggery and salt. Add 1/4 glass of water and cook covered on a medium to high flame till it’s done. Garnish with coconut and serve as an accompaniment to dal rice.
A light, healthy and delicious stir fry, this French beans and potato stir fry is prepared in most Konkani speaking households as an accompaniment to rice and Dal. Minimum use of spices keeps the flavours of the vegetables intact.
Ingredients:
250 gms French beans
2 medium sized potatoes
3 green chillies chopped fine
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard
Salt
A pinch of Hing/ asafoetida
3 tbsps grated coconut.
Method:
Deskin the potatoes and chop them into tiny pieces. String the beans. Wash both the potatoes and the beans thoroughly and chop the beans fine. Heat the oil in a pan. Drop in the mustard and after it splutters drop in the finely chopped green chillies and asafoetida. Toss. Add the chopped beans and potato, salt and half a glass of water. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to minimum, cover and cook till done. Garnish with grated coconut and serve hot.
Eggplant Bhartha is a preparation which is served cold along with rice and Dal. It is best prepared and served immediately as it is a coconut based preparation which is not heated.
Ingredients:
1 large Eggplant weighing 500 gms
1/2 of a coconut grated
1 large green chilly chopped fine
2 roasted Guntur chillies
5 roasted Byadgi chillies
1 tsp tamarind paste
Salt
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 large onion finely chopped
1 inch piece of ginger
Method:
Wash and cut the eggplant into chunks. Pressure cook it. Allow it to cool and remove the skin. Mash well and keep aside. Grind the coconut, roasted red chillies, tamarind and ginger to a smooth paste. Tip it into the eggplant. Crush the green chillies and salt together and add it to the mixture. Mix well. Tip in the chopped onion and drizzle with coconut oil.
A delicious Rasam which can be served over rice or had as an appetizer, the Gooseberry Rasam is a change from the usual tomato and lemon Rasam. Fresh or brined Gooseberry may be used .
Ingredients:
5 gooseberries
4 tomatoes
1 sprig curry leaves
2 green chillies
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp pepper corns
1 tsp coriander seeds
Salt
A tsp of jaggery
Coriander leaves for garnish
100 gms Arhar dal pressure cooked and churned.
For the tempering:
1 tbsp ghee
1 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 dry red chilly
A pinch of asafoetida and turmeric powder.
Method:
Slice the gooseberries and tip them into the mixer. Chop the tomatoes and add them too along with the pepper, cumin seeds, coriander seeds green chillies and curry leaves. Grind to a fine paste. Heat the Ghee and oil mixture in a pan. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and once they crackle add the red chilly, asafoetida and turmeric powder. Toss. Add the curry leaves and then tip in the ground paste. Pour in a litre of water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for fifteen minutes. Add the cooked dal, salt and jaggery. Bring to a roaring boil. Switch off and garnish with coriander leaves.
