Tamil Nadu-style masala bean poriyal

Most poriyals are lightly spiced and highlight the vegetable. Check out this wonderful South Indian cabbage poriyal with peas on this site. However, the version from Tamil Nadu flips that concept around. This poriyal bursts with flavours. The spice mix that heavily coats the beans is fiery, tart, and earthy. It is a spice paste I can use on almost anything. Although the original recipe is made with beans, you can substitute almost any vegetable here: cabbage, eggplants, yams, plantains, or anything else. This is a versatile spice mix that will complement anything it is served with. I served this dish as a side with both chapattis and rice. Southern Flavours is another cookbook from Chandra Padmanabhan that I adore. The recipes are varied across the southern states of India, and each recipe turns out very well. The recipes, like this one, are authentic and wonderfully flavoured. This cookbook is for those who want to go beyond the ordinary and enjoy very localized cuisines from the South.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

For the spice paste:

3 tablespoons chana dal

1 tablespoon urad dal

1 tablespoon coriander powder

4 dried red chilies

1/2 teaspoon asafoetida (Hing) powder

4 tablespoons grated coconut, frozen ok

1 tablespoon tamarind paste

Salt to taste

For the beans:

1 lb green beans, French beans, cut into 1-inch lengths

2 tablespoons cilantro, minced to garnish

For tempering:

2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon chana dal

1 teaspoon urad dal

1/2 teaspoon asafoetida (hing) powder

1 dried red chilli

10-12 curry leaves

To make the spice paste:

Dry roast the chana dal, urad dal, and chillies on medium heat until lightly toasted. Do not burn. Cool and grind to a fine powder in a coffee mill. Set aside.

Add all the other ingredients of the spice paste, including the ground powder from above, to a small blender and purée to a smooth paste. Try to add as little water as possible, just enough to allow the purée to slide down the sides of the blender. Set aside.

To make the beans:

Blanch the beans in boiling water for 1 1/2 minutes till just cooked, or in the microwave with a splash of water for 2 minutes. You want the beans to be crunchy and not mushy. Set aside.

In a wok or pot, add the oil and, on medium heat, add the tempering ingredients in the order given. The mustard seeds will begin to pop in about 30 seconds. Add the spice paste and cook for about 10-15 minutes until the paste has a beautiful aroma and the oil begins to separate from it.

Add the beans and mix in, adding a touch of water if the paste is too dry. Cook for an additional 5 minutes till the beans are well coated in the spices. This should resemble a very thick, almost dry curry.

Serve as a side hot topped with minced cilantro and chapattis or rice.