Sri Lankan green bean stir fry is a delicious dry green bean dish with all the flavors of a curry. It's quick and easy to make, and is a very unique way to cook beans. Packed with umami flavor too. Intermediate - This recipe is quick and easy, but requires some cooking expertise. This is because this stir fry is cooked at a higher heat, and a close eye is required to determine the right cook time at each stage. US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Common Measurement Conversions. Weight measurements are recommended for accurate results. Measurements for this recipe are approximates, and a little variation is OK. Make sure to adjust chili levels to your taste.
1tbspchili flakes (crushed red pepper)adjust to your taste and tolerance level
12ozfresh green beans(about 350 - 400 g), sliced into 2 - 3 inch pieces
¾tspsea salt
½cupfull fat coconut milk or cream
More salt to taste
Extra water and/or coconut milk if needed
Instructions
Heat a large 12 inch skillet over medium high to high heat. The pan needs to be hot.
As the pan is heating, add the oil and onions. Saute the onions while the oil heats up.
2 tbsp coconut oil, ½ of a large onion
When the onions are starting to soften, add the garlic, ginger, curry leaves, and green chili peppers.
8 - 10 curry leaves, 3 garlic cloves, 1 inch ginger, 2 serrano peppers / long green chili
Saute for a couple of minutes to soften the garlic.
Add the turmeric, Maldive fish, sugar, curry powder, and chili flakes/crushed red pepper.
½ tsp ground turmeric, 1 tbsp Maldive fish, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp Sri Lankan curry powder, 1 tbsp chili flakes (crushed red pepper)
Stir fry with the onions for 2 - 5 minutes. Make sure the pan returns to a high heat before adding the beans.
Add the beans and salt. Stir fry over high heat for 2 - 3 minutes until the beans turn a bright green color and are coated with the spices.
12 oz fresh green beans, ¾ tsp sea salt
Pour in the coconut milk, and lower the heat to medium high. Keep stir frying, until the coconut milk has completely evaporated.
½ cup full fat coconut milk or cream
The beans should still be bright green, and al dente in texture. If you want the beans to be softer, add more coconut milk or water, and cook further to soften the beans.
Extra water and/or coconut milk if needed
Taste and season with more salt if needed.
More salt to taste
Serve with warm basmati rice.
Notes
Beans You can use frozen green beans as well. Frozen green beans need to be cooked longer, and the end result will be soft green beans instead of crunchy. Adjust the amount of liquid, and the heat of your stove towards the end of the cooking time to make sure the beans heat through and cook properly.Maldive fish If you don’t have access to Maldive fish, here are some substitutes;
Fish sauce - Add ½ tbsp fish sauce, plus a little salt in place of the Maldive fish and salt. Add the fish sauce when you're adding the salt. Add more salt at the end if you need more seasoning.
Mushroom powder - You can purchase shiitake mushroom powder at some grocery stores or online. Use 1 tbsp of mushroom powder in place of the Maldive fish. Add it at the same time you would add Maldive fish in the recipe.
Fresh mushrooms - Add about 100 g of sliced or chopped mushrooms along with the onions and let it stir fry.
Sri Lankan Curry Powder - If you don’t have Sri Lankan roasted curry powder, use madras curry powder instead.