Green Bean Curry

In the realm of curries, it is hard to pick my favorite. There are so many different flavors that one could highlight through fresh herbs and spices. One of my go-to sauces in the past year has been this green curry sauce. It’s a loose riff on Thai green curry. Traditionally, green curry that comes from central Thailand is made with shrimp paste, kaffir limes, and green thai chilies (specifically prik kee noo suan).

My green bean curry variation leaves out the shrimp paste and uses readily available ingredients like regular limes and jalapeño peppers. If you can find the more traditional ingredients, I recommend making your own green curry paste (this is a shrimp version and this is one without). However, you can often find green curry paste at the store (the flavor just isn’t as strong/good as homemade!)

    

Green Bean Curry

A flavorful green bean curry using a riff on thai green curry sauce with help from store-bought curry paste.

INGREDIENTS

Green Curry Sauce

• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• 1/2 cup minced white onion
• 1 small jalapeno deseeded and minced
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoons thai green curry paste
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• Salt, to taste
• 1 cup whole-fat coconut milk
• 1/3 cup loosely packed cilantro

Base

• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• 1 small white onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/2 pound green beans, thinly sliced
• Sea salt, to taste

For Serving

• 2 cups Brown rice for serving
• Toasted coconut for serving
• Fresh cilantro for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the coconut oil and melt. Measure in the onion and jalapeno, cook until fragrant and soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger, cooking for another minute or so. Add in the remaining ingredients for the sauce. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 5 minutes. Using a blender or immersion blender, puree the sauce until mostly smooth. Set the sauce aside and wipe out the pot.
• Return the pot to the stove over medium heat. Add the olive oil to the pot, followed by the onion, peppers, and pinch of salt. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes then add the green beans along with a splash of water. Cover and cook until the green beans until they are just about tender and bright green, 4 to 5 minutes. Add a bit more water as needed. Uncover and continue to cook for another few minutes to evaporate any leftover water and lightly brown the green beans.
• Add in the curry sauce and simmer for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce is hot. Divide the rice into 4 bowls and top with green beans.

by Erin Alderson

RECIPE NOTES

Tips & Tricks:  make the sauce ahead of time for a quick weeknight dinner.

Stock up: get the pantry ingredients you will need: limes, green beans, coconut milk

Nutrition:  see the information.

Step by Step

GREEN BEAN CURRY

variations

Given I’ve made a similar curry from potatoes, it’s pretty easy to swap out the vegetables and/or grains. I recommend not playing too much with the sauce (but that’s just because I love it so much!)

VEGETABLES: swap out the green beans for other summer produce like eggplant or potatoes. Sweet potatoes are also lovely in this dish.

GRAINS: Serve this green bean curry over your favorite grains: millet, quinoa, or sorghum just to name a few of my favorites.

COCONUT MILK: This sauce is rich, try cutting the coconut milk down slightly and swapping it for vegetable broth.

EXPLORE

A true summer delight, green beans are a wonderful addition to every meal. I love using them sautéed with eggs, on their own as a side, or tucked in summer rolls. A few of my favorites:

Green Bean Stir-Fry
Green Bean Summer Rolls
Roasted Green Beans with Romesco