Indian Green Beans Aloo Sabzi

Get ready to jazz up dinner time with this delicious punjabi style greens beans aloo sabzi that's neither too saucy, nor dry. With tender green beans, no mushy potatoes in sight, and a lightly spiced onion-tomato masala, this aloo beans recipe is a home-style hit that's easy and quick to whip up. Pair it with plain parathas or dal-chawal (rice), and you've got a meal that's a true delight.

Whenever I make up sukhi sabjis(dry curries), a comforting aroma fills up my kitchen as indian spices and fresh vegetables come together. It's like a time machine, that takes me back to my grandmother's home where, growing up, dal(lentils), sukhi sabji, homemade roti, and chawal were for our everyday meals.

In the daily parade of our home-cooked meals, these dry curries almost always feature the humble aloo (potato), because, let's face it, potatoes are the rockstars of the veggie world. The magic begins with a simple tempering, by crackling cumin seeds, a pinch of hing (asafoetida) in hot oil, followed by a sprinkle of basic ground spices.

And before I know it, the kitchen is alive with sizzling spices and mouth-watering aromas. A few of our favorites are aloo palak, bhindi aloo, parwal sabzi, and hare pyaz ki sabji.

Indian Green Beans

Indian kitchens boast a variety of fresh beans-sem ki phali, guar ki phali, surti phali, and more. Growing up, I knew only one kind of green beans. My grandmother called these hari beans or french beans sometimes. It was after moving here that I discovered other green bean varieties like string beans, and haricots verts.

As is common with many indian recipes, there are many ways of making green beans. This beans sabzi is about simplicity. It's a recipe that thrives on the essentials-tender green beans, earthy potatoes, and a quick onion-tomato masala laced with spices. Comes together in under 30 minutes!

My north indian style green beans recipe isn't too basic in terms of tempering. It goes beyong the usual jeera-hing tadka and starts with sautéing onions in mustard oil until they turn golden. Into this, the tangy brightness of tomatoes is introduced, along with garlic.

Then, basic spices like turmeric, coriander, and red chili powder join the mix, infusing the dish with layers of flavor and aroma. As the potatoes and green beans slowly cook, they become tender and flavorful.

Ingredients

• Fresh Green Beans - The hero ingredient - Fresh, vibrant looking green beans that feel firm and crispy to touch! If they're limp or soft, it's a no-go. In a hurry? Grab prewashed, stem-trimmed beans from the store. Just chop and go-easy peasy, and my absolute favorite shortcut!
• Potatoes - I love using russet and yellow potatoes. Sometimes, I skip peeling them because my husband is a fan of the tasty skins! You do you.
• Whole Spices - Cumin Seeds, Dried Red Chili(whole)
• Ground Spices - coriander powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida(hing),red chili powder, garam masala powder and amchur(dry mango powder, or lime juice)
• Roasted Besan (Gram Flour) - Helps in making the sauce slightly thickish and adds a hint of nuttiness.
• Mustard Oil - I love cooking in mustard oil. Substitue with any neutral cooking oil of choice.

Instructions

Prep The Veggies

1. Wash and trim the ends of green beans. Take out the strings.Then cut them into 1-inch pieces.
2. Peel the potatoes if you wish (I leave them unpeeled). Cut them into small cubes(about 1 inch).
3. Finely chop the onion and tomatoes. Mince the garlic (or use garlic paste).

Make Indian Green Beans Curry

4. In a large pan or kadhai, heat the mustard oil over medium heat until slightly smoky.
5. Temper the hot oil with whole dried chilies, hing and cumin seeds. Let crackle.
6. Add the chopped onions and sauté until they start turning golden brown. This takes about 5-6 minutes.

7. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic paste and all spice powders(except garam masala and amchur). Add 1-2 tablespoon of water to make sure that the spices don't burn. Fry the garlic and spices for another 1-2 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
8. Toss in the potato cubes in the masala and sprinkle salt. Since potatoes take longer to cook as compared to green beans, we are adding them earlier to get them started. Fry the potatoes for 1-2 minutes with masala, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

9. Then add the chopped tomatoes and mix. Cover pan and let cook for 2-3 minutes until they soften and start to break down. You will see that masala becomes runny because of tomato juices. Don't dry out too much.

10. Uncover and add the green beans, mix and sprinkle the roasted besan (if using). At this point, I add little water (about ⅓ cup water) so that the sabzi isn't too dry. Taste and adjust the salt at this stage.
11. Cover the pan again. Cook for another 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the green beans and potatoes are tender.Adjust time as needed.

12. Once the vegetables are cooked through, sprinkle garam masala and amchur powder (or lemon juice) over the sabzi. Give it a final stir, switch off the stove. Let sit uncovered for few minutes to make sure that vegetables don't overcook.
13. Serving - Serving - Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro leaves and serve hot with plain parathas, tawa roti, tandoori roti, or as a perfect side dish with dal-chawal (rice). You can add a bowl of raita on side.

Recipe Tips

• Adjust the spices to your taste. I suggest starting with less quantity and add more as you go, especially with the red chili powder and garam masala.
• I like to keep almost 1:1 proportion of green beans to potatoes in my sabzis. However, if you like more potatoes, reduce the green beans quantity and vice-versa. Make sure that the total quantity of vegetables remains as mentioned in the recipe card so that the seasonings are proper.
• If you don't want to use besan(I know its an extra step to dry roast it), mash a few cooked potato pieces using back of spoon to help thicken the sauce.
• Depending on quality of your green beans, adjust the time of cooking. They overcook pretty fast. Keep an eye on the cooking time to ensure the beans and potatoes are tender but not mushy. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking.
• You can use haricot verts or chinese long beans instead of green beans.