Reinventing a Classic Vegetable

Gugarati Green Beans

Sometimes cooking a traditional vegetable a different way makes me think I’m Christopher Columbus discovering a new world.  It happened a while ago with green beans.

My first memory of green beans involved a tuna casserole.  I’m pretty sure those beans came out of a can.  They must have been overcooked because they were soft and squishy.  But at the time I didn’t know they could taste any different.  I just ate what was put in front of me.

Years later I picked some green beans growing in a friend’s garden and discovered:
1) You can eat them straight from the vine, and they’re crunchy, not limp.  2) You must not cook them for more than a few minutes or they will taste like canned beans.

Later still, when I began liking Indian food, I discovered an Indian dish called Gugarati Green Beans, which taste nothing like any other green beans I’ve ever eaten. 

Gugarati Green Beans – serves 4 (adapted from “Help! My Apartment Has a Dining Room”)  

1 pound fresh green beans
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more if you like really spicy food)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon mustard seeds 

Wash the beans and trim and discard the stem end.  Remove and discard any strings.  (These beans are also called string beans for a reason.)  Cut the beans into 1-inch lengths. 

Half-fill a medium pot with water, cover and bring to a boil over high heat.  Add the beans and boil uncovered for 4-6 minutes, depending how thick they are.  Taste-test after 4 minutes to see if they are beginning to soften but are still slightly crisp.  When they reach this stage, drain in a colander or sieve and run cold water over them so they stop cooking.  Set aside. 

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic, sugar, red pepper flakes and black pepper and cook for about 30 seconds, or until the garlic begins to sizzle.  Add the mustard seeds and stir for about 10 seconds or until they start to pop out of the pan.  Return the beans to the pan, stir briefly until the beans are covered with the spice mixture and serve.

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