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Spiced Green Beans with Cashew Nuts

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Curries and similar meals can often be lacking in green vegetables and this green bean and cashew dish attempts to redress the balance. It is suitable for serving with most oriental, Indian or Chinese meals as a side dish. We use fine green beans, either home grown or from the supermarket but it can be made with sliced runner beans if these are available.
Preparation time 7 minutes, cooking time 15 minutes.

This dish contains nuts.

 

Ingredients for 4 - 6 servings:

  • 200g (8oz) fine green beans, washed, trimmed and cut in half.

  • 1 small onion, about 100g (3 oz), peeled

  • 2oz (50g) cashew nuts, broken into large pieces

  • 3 small red hot chillies

  • 2 large cloves of garlic, very finely chopped

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil for frying, optionally use sesame oil for slightly different flavour

  • 1/2 teaspoon (3ml) salt plus more to taste if required, particularly if the stock is not salty.

  • about 4 fl. oz (150ml) hot vegetable stock from cube or powder.

You will need a medium size saucepan (about 1.5 litre) with a lid.

 

Method:

Halve the onion and cut it into thin slices lengthwise.

Heat the oil in the pan until it is quite hot, add the chillies, swirl around and allow to fry until the chillies begin to blacken. Note that the object is to get the chilli flavour into the oil, not so much to cook the chillies. Add the cashew cashew nuts and garlic. Continue to stir and fry until the garlic and nuts turn brown. Add the onion.

Stir and fry the mixture until the onion is soft. Add the beans, take care as the oil can "spit" with the heat. Stir and fry for 2 minutes, do not let the beans soften at all. Add the salt and the stock. Heat the mixture until it is boiling well, cover, turn the heat to low and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Note that this dish is best when the beans are still slightly crisp. Remove the whole chillies or warn the guests before serving!

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Updated 4/12/2008