Indian Long Bean Curry

Complexity level: 3/5

Ingredients:

• 500g long beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ginger thumb, minced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened about 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic, ginger, and tomato and cook until the tomato is soft and mushy, about 5 minutes more.
• Add the coriander powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, and red chilli powder and cook for 1 minute more.
• Add the long beans and salt to the pan and stir to combine.
• Add 1/2 cup of water to the pan, cover, and reduce the heat to low.
• Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the long beans are tender.
• Stir in the cilantro and serve.

Tips:

• For a richer flavour, add 1/2 cup of coconut milk to the pan along with the water.
• If you don't have garam masala powder, you can substitute a mixture of 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.
• To make the curry spicier, add more red chili powder to taste.
• Serve the curry with rice or naan bread.

Variations:

• Lobiya ki Sabzi: This is a simpler version of the curry that is made without tomatoes. Simply omit the tomatoes from the recipe and add 1/2 cup of water to the pan instead.
• Lobiya Masala with Potatoes: For a more filling curry, add 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced, to the pan along with the long beans.
• Lobiya Masala with Paneer: For a vegetarian version of the curry, add 1 cup of crumbled paneer cheese to the pan along with the cilantro.