Vegan Sesame Flavored Green Beans Stir Fry

Try this simple Sesame Flavored Green Beans Stir Fry recipe for lunch today. The sesame seeds masala gives an aromatic flavor to this Indian style stir-fry!

Every time I get a regular vegetable which is used for everyday recipes, I get into a conflict with myself. What goes on in my mind is, "Should I make the same dish with this vegetable that I have been making all these years or should I try to cook it differently." If you simply google the name of the veggie you have at hand, you will see pages and pages of recipes that are so diverse from one another which should make you wonder - why cook it the same way when I can cook it differently to give my palate a new taste! The cuisines of India is itself so heterogeneous that you need not look any further. I will share an example of my cook here. She was our cook (in Bombay) for more than 10 years. She would come to make chapati and sabzi for lunchbox. It never occurred to us that we were having vegetables cooked in the same way all those years. She never knew otherwise. It always had the same spices, same tadka and the same ingredients. No variety what so ever. But since at that point of time in my life, I could not be bothered with all these things, I didn't complain. Today however things are very different. I am a food blogger for crying out loud!

I get a kick in trying out different recipes using the same ingredients. Along with that I am also very keen in going back to our traditional native eating habits. I have been reading up a lot on this and I have deduced certain points for myself to follow. Its being said that all our age-old traditional recipes have a science behind them and hence it makes sense to keep making those recipes rather than worrying about the current food trends. Recipes that are passed down from generations to generations is what needs to be preserved and made. Therefore, my aim to dig out all such recipes as much as I can and recreate them in my kitchen and thereby on my blog. Indian traditional food has naturally incorporated Ayurveda and science in it. We need to hold these recipes are very precious and pass it on to the coming generations. Some other things I plan to incorporate more in our lifestyle are - To consume locally grown food, to value/respect the food in front of you and not to crib or criticize it , to eat seasonal fruits and vegetables as they will give your body what it needs for that season, share food with people around you and teach our children to do so as well, sit and eat the same food together as a family rather than each member ordering their own takeout.  

We as a family do follow most of these things but need to get stricter about it. These are just small changes that we can make in our lifestyle to better it. You know, whenever I talk to any elderly person, very early in the conversation I ask them if they have any family recipe to share with me. I found this Sesame Flavored Green Beans Stir Fry in one such conversation. This gem of a recipe is from my friend's grandma who told me that where they lived, green beans was harvested in the month of February and that is when her mom would cook many varieties of dishes using these green beans. One of those recipes was this one. The sesame seeds masala base was prepared especially during the winter months like February - March. This was mainly because sesame helps to contain body heat, reinforces blood, and strengthen your bones, muscles, and even willpower. It amazes me how our ancestors used nature, science and logic in their food and this is a skill we seem to have long-lost. So here is a family recipe of green beans that I would like to preserve in my blog forever. 

The recipe to make Sesame Flavored Green Beans Stir Fry is simple and easy to follow with minimal steps. The first step is to prepare the sesame seed masala base. For that, in a pan, dry roast sesame seeds, cumin seeds, garlic cloves, coconut powder, dried red chillies and Himalayan rock salt for 2-3 minutes. Dry roasting will release a nice aroma from the spices. Take it off the flame and allow it to cool. Then using any spice grinder, make a coarse powder. You can use this masala in any curry recipe. Store in airtight container. Heat oil in a pan. If you are not vegan, then you can use ghee instead. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds. Once they begin to crackle, add chopped curry leaves and onions. Saute till the onions turn translucent and then add the ground masala, turmeric powder and salt. Continue to fry this masala for 1-2 more minutes and then add the chopped green beans. Mix, close the lid and cook till beans become tender. Sprinkle little water as well, it will aid in the cooking. Once done, take it off the flame. Your Sesame Flavored Green Beans Stir Fry is now ready. Serve this with any Indian bread and rice. 

Sesame Flavored Green Beans Stir Fry

Try this simple Sesame Flavored Green Beans Stir Fry recipe for lunch today. The sesame seeds masala gives an aromatic flavor to this Indian style stir-fry!

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Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Asian, Indian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Author: Priya Lakshminarayan

Ingredients 

• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp coconut powder
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1 onion
• 2 dried red chillies
• Himalayan rock salt as required
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 5-6 curry leaves
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 250 gms green beans
• salt as required

Instructions

• The first step is to prepare the sesame seed masala base. For that, in a pan, dry roast sesame seeds, cumin seeds, garlic cloves, coconut powder, dried red chillies and Himalayan rock salt for 2-3 minutes. Dry roasting will release a nice aroma from the spices. Take it off the flame and allow it to cool. Then using any spice grinder, make a coarse powder. You can also use this masala in any curry recipe. Store in airtight container. Heat oil in a pan. If you are not vegan, then you can use ghee instead. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds. Once they begin to crackle, add chopped curry leaves and onions. Saute till the onions turn translucent and then add the ground masala, turmeric powder and salt. Continue to fry this masala for 1-2 more minutes and then add the chopped green beans. Mix, close the lid and cook till beans become tender. Sprinkle little water as well, it will aid in the cooking. Once done, take it off the flame. Your Sesame Flavored Green Beans Stir Fry is now ready. Serve this with any Indian bread and rice.

Notes

You can use desiccated/fresh coconut as well instead of coconut powder.

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Don't get stuck in a rut and keep repeating the same recipe, try out the variations and I assure you, you will feel the satisfaction!  Green Beans Potato Gravy is one such variation.