Green String Bean Poriyal

A  'Poriyal' in Tamil, or seldom used for this dish 'Porutu' in Telugu, is a pan-fried spiced vegetable dish topped with shredded coconut. It is a great quick vegetable side dish and you can add pretty much any vegetable that is in season. When we have a busy day and are too tired to really cook; dinner is some variation of rice, pickle (Most often shrimp), and vegetable poriyal. 

Green String beans are a staple in our fridge and garden. I love their fresh taste and crunch, that's why I like this method of cooking them. The quick cooking method keeps the green beans crunchy, while the spices, cilantro, and coconut add extra layers of flavor to this crisp spring dish!

Here's my recipe for String Bean Poriyal:

Serves 4
Ingredients:

1 lb String Beans, chopped
3 Tblsp grated Coconut
3 Tblsp Water
2 tsp Ghee
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Urad Dal
1 dried Red Chili
1/2 tsp Asafoetida powder
4-5 Curry Leaves
A handful of chopped Cilantro
Salt to taste

Prep Work: Trim the ends of the string beans and chop into small pieces.

Directions:
1. Heat 2 tsp Ghee in a saucepan, than add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, asafoetida, chili, and curry leaves. When the mustards starts popping add the string beans, salt, and water. Stir well and cover for 3 minutes.

2. Add the grated coconut and cilantro and stir. Serve hot.

Enjoy!