Green Beans with Coconut, Chili, and Garlic

Time: 10 minutes prep | 10 minutes cooking | 20 minutes total

Serves: 2-4 as a side

Priya Krishna’s One recipe is inspired by her colleague and friend, Tejal Rao of the New York Times. In Tejal’s recipe, Roasted Squash With Coconut, Chile and Garlic, squash is the star. But Priya switches up the vegetable, anything from cabbage to potatoes, when she makes this dish, as the main component of the recipe is truthfully the aromatic base of coconut, chili, and garlic. Keep these ingredients on hand and this dish may very well become a treasured staple for you as well.

INGREDIENTS 

• 2 tsp. coconut oil

• ½ tsp. black mustard seeds (optional)

• 1 sprig curry leaves (optional)

• 1 lb green beans, trimmed

• 1 tsp. salt, plus more to taste

• 1-2 dried chiles de árbol

• ½ cup unsweetened dried, shredded coconut

• 1-2 small garlic cloves, peeled

• half a lemon

DIRECTIONS

1. In a cast-iron pan, heat coconut oil over medium heat. When it is hot, add mustard seeds and curry leaves, if using. Cook until seeds are toasted and the curry leaves crisp up a bit. Add the green beans, or whatever vegetable you’re using, season generously with salt, and cook until beans are seared and almost cooked through. Timing will depend on the vegetable you use.

2. In the meantime, put the dried chiles in a bowl, and cover with very hot water until they soften, about 2 minutes. Drain the water, reserving a tablespoon or two, and destem the chiles.

3.  In a mortar and pestle add the coconut and garlic. Grind until the garlic is completely broken down, then add the chiles. Grind until the chiles are in small but still-visible red pieces. Add some of the reserved warm water if needed to help loosen it into a coarse paste.

4. When the vegetables are almost finished cooking, add the garlic chile paste and cook for an additional minute or so, until fragrant. The longer you cook the garlic mix, the sweeter the garlic flavor will be, if you take care not to burn the garlic.

5.  Add lemon or lime juice, and season with additional salt if needed. Serve with rice.