Green Bean Poriyal

Soaring temperatures in July and nearly debilitating back pain has meant easier meals with minimal prep. After all, as any cook will know, it's the prep and the cleanup that usually takes most of the time and effort, depending on the dish of course. As I always maintain, easy does not mean you have to sacrifice flavor or nutrition, and this spicy green bean side dish certainly proves my point.

Poriyals are essentially dry curries that are ideal accompaniments to any main course and a hallmark of South Indian cuisine. These vegetable-based dishes are usually gently steamed or stir-fried over a low heat to retain the flavors of the vegetables featured in the dish. In this case, it is important not to overcook the green beans, because you want to retain the crispness that comes out in each bite. I've added tamarind here for a bit of sweetness and some coconut and split urad and toor dal for some crunchy texture. Though an ideal side, consider serving as a satisfying light lunch with some rice or flatbread or even as an elegant starter. If you want a version with more dal, then consider this green bean and toor dal poriyal that I have made on several occasions.

Green Bean Poriyal

Recipe by Lisa Turner
Adapted from Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine from South India
Cuisine: South Indian
Published on July 25, 2016

Simple and colorful south Indian green bean side dish with spices and fragrant shredded coconut

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Ingredients:

2 tablespoons tamarind pulp
3 cups (1 lb or 450 g) green beans, cut into 2/3-inch pieces
4 tablespoons dried unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

Tempering:

2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon split skinned urad dal, rinsed
1 teaspoon toor dal or chana dal, rinsed
1 fresh red chili, finely chopped (don't remove the seeds)
1/2 teaspoon asafetida
small handful of dried curry leaves, crushed

Instructions:

Soak the tamarind pulp in 2/3 cup boiling water for 40 minutes. Strain the tamarind into a small bowl, pressing down on the pulp to squeeze as much liquid as you can. Set the drained tamarind liquid aside.
In a large frying pan or wok, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds to the pan and cook for a few minutes. Now add the urad and toor or chana dals, chilli, asafetida and curry leaves. Fry for another few minutes until the mustard seeds turn grey and begin to splutter and pop.
Now add the green beans, about 3 tablespoons of the tamarind water, and salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook until the beans are tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the coconut and cook for another few minutes.
Remove from heat and taste for seasoning. Serve warm alongside some fresh cooked white rice and your favorite dal dishes.

Makes 4 to 6 servings