Spicy green beans

6 servings

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
1½poundsFresh green beans
1In cube peeled chopped ginge
10Whole cloves garlic
1½cupWater
5tablespoonsVegetable oil
2teaspoonsWhole cumin seeds
1Dried hot red chili
2teaspoonsGround coriander
1¼teaspoonSalt
3tablespoonsLemon juice
1teaspoonGround roasted cumin

Directions

Trim the green beans and cut them crosswise at ¼ in intervals. Put the ginger and garlic into the container of an electric blender or food processor. Add ⅓ of the water and blend until fairly smooth.

Heat the oil in a wide, heavy saucepan over a medium flame. When hot, put in the cumin seeds. Five seconds later, put in the crushed chili. As soon as it darkens, pour in the ginger-garlic paste.

Stir and cook for about a minute. Put in the coriander.

Stir a few times. Now put in the chopped tomatoes.

Stir and cook for about 2 minutes, mashing up the tomato pieces with the back of a slotted spoon as you do so. Put in the beans, salt and the remaining water. Bring to simmer. Cover, turn heat to low and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the beans are tender. Remove the cover. Add the lemon juice, roasted cumin, and a generous amount of freshly ground pepper. Turn heat up and boil away all of the liquid, stirring the beans gently as you do so.