spiced carrot and green bean stew

How to make spiced carrot and green bean stew recipe

Serves 4

Total cooking time 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 onion, sliced
1–2 hot green chillies, deseeded and sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
5–6 fresh curry leaves
1 tablespoon medium curry powder
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
2 carrots, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
450 g (14½ oz) green beans, trimmed and halved
400 ml (14 fl oz) coconut milk
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper
steamed rice or crusty bread, to serve (optional)

Method:
Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan, add the onion, chillies, garlic and curry leaves and cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes until the onion is softened and golden brown. Sprinkle over the curry powder, turmeric and fenugreek seeds and season well.

Add the carrots and beans and cook, stirring, for a further 3–4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, pour over the coconut milk and simmer for 10–12 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Ladle into bowls and serve with steamed rice or bread, if liked.

For spicy carrot & green bean soup, heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon sunflower oil in a heavy-based saucepan, add 1 finely chopped onion, 1 chopped garlic clove, 1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh root ginger and 1 tablespoon mild curry powder and fry, stirring, for 1–2 minutes.

Stir in 3 peeled and finely chopped carrots, 200 g (7 oz) finely chopped trimmed green beans and 800 ml (1 pint 8 fl oz) hot vegetable stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 12–15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Remove from the heat and, using a stick blender, process the soup until smooth. Season, then stir in 200 ml (7 fl oz) single cream. Serve with crusty bread. Total cooking time 20 minutes.

spiced carrot and green bean stew