A little while ago, one of my favorite chefs - Joe from wwrecipes.com did a week of yummy recipes for an Indian Feast - I loved them all, but this one stands out as something that can work for both a feast or a way to perk up your everyday side dishes
Green Beans with Coconut (Serves 4 to 6)
4 Tbs (60 ml) ghee (see recipe below)
1 tsp (5 ml) black mustard seeds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tsp (5 ml) finely chopped ginger
1 lb (450 g) green beans (haricots), trimmed and cut into 1-inch (2 cm) pieces
Cayenne pepper to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup (60 ml) shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)
The juice of 1 lemon
Heat the ghee in a large skillet over high heat until it is very hot. Add the mustard seeds and stir for 15 seconds. Add the onion and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the green beans, cayenne, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
Add the coconut and cilantro, reduce the heat to its lowest setting, and cook covered until the beans are tender, about 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with lemon juice immediately before serving.
Ghee
1 lb (450 g) unsalted butter
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat.
Increase the heat and bring the butter to a boil. When the surface is completely covered with foam stir the butter gently and reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting.
Simmer uncovered and undisturbed for 45 minutes, or until the milk solids in the bottom of the pan have turned golden brown and the butter on top is transparent.
Strain the butter through a sieve lined with linen or four layers of cheesecloth. If there are
any solids in the ghee, no matter how small, strain it again until it is perfectly clear.
Pour the ghee into a glass jar and seal tightly. This recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups, and may
be kept at room temperature for several months, or almost indefinitely refrigerated.
It will congeal if refrigerated, and so must be warmed before using if liquid ghee is called for.
Doesn't that just sound yummy? Let me know if you try it and don't forget to link up to our monthly recipe linky below:
