Coconutty Beans and Carrots (Beans and carrots Cooked In coconut Milk)

Beans and Carrot Vegetable in Coconut Gravy

It is great feeling of excitement to experiment in the kitchen and yet better feeling of satisfaction when the experiment is well received by the family members. My husband calls himself my guinea pig as most of the new dishes go on his plate for approval, he is my best critic. I love south Indian food and being a North Indian I love blending North Indian taste with south Indian food. The freshness of beans and carrots and their color remain intact in this dish thus making it very appealing. Beans and carrots make the vegetable rich in Vitamin A,C, Calcium, Iron, Protein and also provide good amount of dietary fibers. The richness of coconut milk, curd gives a lovely flavor and unique taste to it.

Preparation Time: 30 min

Cooking Time: 30 min

Servings: 4 Medium helpings

Ingredients Required For Making Coconutty Beans and Carrots:

• 100 gm. French Beans

• 100 gm. Carrots 

• 1 Fresh Coconut 

• 100 Gm. Thick Curd

• 1/4Teaspoon Turmeric

• 1/2Teaspoon Cumin seeds

• 1/2Tea spoon Mustard seeds

• 5-6 Curry Leaves

• 1-2 Whole Red chilies

• 1 Pinch Asafoetida

• Salt as per taste

• 1/2Tea spoon white pepper powder

• 1 ml. olive oil / cooking oil

• 2-3 Sprigs of Fresh Green Coriander

Directions For Making Coconutty Beans and Carrots:

• Wash and pat dry the Beans and Carrots.

• De-vein the beans and cut hem to 2-3 inch long thin pieces.

• Clean the carrots of all small roots hanging from it and cut to 2-3 inches long thin strips.

Carrots and Beans cut to strips

• Grate the kernel of fresh coconut and grind it to thin paste by adding water in little amount.

• Squeeze all milk out of it by using a fine cotton cloth.

• Keep this thick coconut milk aside.

Thick Coconut Milk

• Grind the remainder solid after taking out milk again with water and squeeze the remaining milk again.

• Keep this thin milk separate.

• Take oil in a thick wok and heat till smoking hot.

• Lower the flame and add

• 1/4Tea spoon Mustard seeds

• 1/4Teaspoo Cumin seeds

• 3-4 Curry leaves

• 1 Red chili

• Cook for 30 sec. The seeds will split, color of curry leaves will become dark, Red chili will become brown red and wonderful aroma will start coming.

• Add cut beans and carrots

• Mix and cook on low flame till they just become tender. Do not overcook them.

• 

Beans and Carrots being sauteed

• Add white pepper powder and mix. Cook for 31-2 min.

White Pepper powder added to sauteed vegetables

• Add the thin coconut milk and cook on high flame for 2 min.

• Beat thick curd to fine homogenous mass.

• Lower the flame and to the vegetable and coconut milk mixture add

• Thick coconut milk

• Beaten thick curd

• Turmeric powder

• Mix nicely and cook on low flame for 2-3 min. the gravy will become thick.

• Add salt and mix.

Salt and Turmeric powder added and given one boil

• Switch off the gas and cover the wok with vegetable and allow the flavor of coconut milk to seep to the vegetable.

• Coconutty beans and carrots are ready to be served.

Coconutty beans and carrots

• Heat the Coconutty beans and carrots and take out in a serving bowl.

• Enjoy Coconutty beans and carrots with Roti, paratha, rice.

Tips:

• Never peel the carrots, just remove the dirt by washing and remove the fibrous roots with knife. 
  

• Do not cut the carrots too thick.

• Do not overcook the vegetables else the color of beans and carrots will not remain bright and the crunchiness of the vegetables will be lost.

• Keep the thick and thin milk separately and always add thin milk first.

• Salt should be added last else the coconut milk may curdle.

• Always add Mustard seeds before cumin seeds, red chili and curry leaves.

• Do not add water to the vegetables while cooking the water of coconut milk is enough to cook them to crunchiness.

Suggested Variations:

•  Heat 1/2ml. of oil in a pan.

• To the hot oil add
•  1/2tespoon mustard seeds

• 1/2Teaspoon Cumin seeds

• 3-4 Curry leaves

• 1Red chili

• Cook till the seeds splutter, and the aroma of spices starts coming out.

• Pour this seasoning over the vegetable and serve.

• In the absence of fresh coconut canned coconut milk (200ml.) / 100 gm. Dry Coconut milk can be used.

• If dry coconut milk is used,  then to make milk dissolve it in 200 mil. Luke warm water coconut milk is ready.

• For change in taste few strips of cauliflower can be added along with carrots and beans.