Beans Gravy Curry

Ingredients

2 cups green beans,

cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2-inch piece of cinnamon

3/4 tsp red chilli powder

6-8 tsp vegetable oil

Salt to taste

For Masala

1 cup onions, finely chopped 1 cup tomatoes, finely chopped 1-inch piece of ginger, finely chopped or grated 3/4 tsp cumin seeds (jeera) 3-4 black pepper corns 5-6 curry leaves 6-8 sprigs cilantro (coriander leaves)


Preparation

Heat 5-6 tsp oil in a medium pan, and saute the onions until translucent.

Add the tomatoes and saute until cooked. Add salt and red chilli powder and saute for 2 minutes, and set aside to cool.

Grind the sauteed onions and tomatoes with ginger, cumin seeds, curry leaves, cilantro, and pepper corns with 1/4 cup of water.

Heat 6-7 tsp oil in a wide, shallow pan (such as a pressure pan) and add the cinnamon, cardamom pods, and cloves, and fry for a couple of seconds, and add the beans. Sprinkle some salt and 1 cup water, and cover and cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until tender.

Pour the ground masala paste over the cooked beans, and let simmer until the gravy thickens for about 2-3 minutes.

Remove the cinamon and cloves, and garnish the curry with cilantro.

Serve the beans gravy curry hot with rice or roti, chapathi or poori.


Cooking Tip

Be sure to saute the onions until fully cooked to prevent the raw flavor of onion from messing up the taste. The raw onions can also make the curry taste a little bitter. Of course, if you don't mind a slightly oniony flavor and want to take some shortcuts, grind the onions and tomatoes raw along with the other spices and increase the simmer time a couple of minutes.