Beans Ani Batate Upkari ( Sautéed green beans and potatoes); Meatless Monday.

I believe that our traditional Konkani cuisine is very simple without much pomp. It is also very healthy and easy on the gastrointestinal system. The reason for this is that there is very little oil used for cooking the food, there are not many spices and the procedure itself is very simple, yet the result is a delicious dish that could relished by kids and adults alike and with rice or roti.

 Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 15-20 mins

Total time: 30-35 mins

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

Green beans : 250 gms or 1/2 lb
Potatoes: 2 medium sized.
Coconut oil: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Dried red chillies: 1-2 medium sized, broken into two pieces.
Salt: as per taste
Water: 1/4 cup
Freshly grated coconut: 1 tbsp ( for garnishing)( optional).

Method:

Peel the potatoes. Wash them and dice them medium.

Wash the green beans  thoroughly. Chop/snap the tips off at both ends of the string beans. Repeat this with all the string beans. Chop the string beans into 1 cms wide pieces.

In a saute pan or frying pan, heat coconut oil on medium heat. add mustard seeds to the pan. Once the mustard seeds crackle, add broken dried red chillies.  Now add the chopped potatoes & string beans. Add salt, water and mix well. Cover and cook on low flame until both the potatoes & green beans are tender( around 15-20 mins), sautéing once in a while. If the water evaporates and the vegetables are not cooked, add water in between, little at a time.

Turn off the flame. Garnish with freshly grated coconut.

Serve hot with rice or flatbread/ roti.

Enjoy.

Cooking made easy:

Certain types of potatoes may take longer to cook. In this case, add the diced potatoes cook and when they are half-way done, add in the green beans. Cover and cook until done.

Tip for healthy living:

Try to use organic potatoes whenever possible as they have the highest accumulation of pesticides. This is because they have pesticides that are sprayed on the plants and the chemicals already present in the soil.
Whenever possible, peel the potatoes and use them.

Food for thought:

Things start happening when you start believing.  Unknown

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!