Farasbi chi Bhaji (French Beans/Green Beans Veggie)

French Beans or Green Beans or Pole beans are slender beans with green, rounded pods. The pods can be eaten whole, including the immature seeds, which are juicy and tender. They make for an attractive little side dish.

I use French beans in salads, vegetable soups, curries etc. But today I will share a simple dry Maharashtrian style preparation of this super cute bean. This preparation has a slightly sweet, spicy and nutty flavor. It goes well with hot chapatis as well as rice. 

Usually, to speed up the cooking process,especially if I am in a hurry, I place my chopped french beans in the rice cooker for steaming. This takes about 10 - 12 mins to get to 80% cooked. While the beans are steaming, I prepare all the other ingredients for this preparation. A huge time saver! That being said, steaming of the french beans is not mandatory. You can add raw chopped french beans while making this dish. Just make sure you cover and cook the dish for a longer time, stirring occasionally till you are done.

If you want to know how I steam my veggies, go right down to the tips section below this recipe. 

Now let us get cooking.

Level: Easy

Serves: 4 to 6 people

Ingredients:

1 lb french beans, cut into tiny rounds

3/4 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

3 to 4 pinches asafoetida
8 to 10 curry leaves
1 green chilly, finely chopped

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilly powder

2 tblsp roasted peanut powder

2 tsp goda masala

1 marble sized jaggery

Juice of half a lime/2-3 kokum 

Salt to taste

1 tblsp coconut for garnishing (optional)
Coriander for garnishing 

Method:

Step 1 - Steam the french beans in a rice cooker or in a steamer or a pressure pan. Make sure you do not over steam them. They should maintain their crunch as well as their texture. You need the french beans 80% cooked. How do you check for it? Try to break a tiny piece in between your fingers. It should be slightly tough but easy to break. You can also pop one in your mouth and check if it is cooked. Make sure you do not overcook these.

Step 2 - In a large pot or pan, heat 2 tsp oil. Add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the asafoetida and cumin seeds. Saute till the cumin seeds get to a light brown color. Add the curry leaves and green chilly. Mix in well.

Step 3 - Add the turmeric powder and the steamed french beans. Mix well. Add the red chilly powder, jaggery, goda masala, and crushed peanuts. Saute everything well and cook covered for a couple of mins.

Step 4 - Once the french beans are thoroughly cooked, squeeze some fresh lime juice and sprinkle some fresh coconut and coriander leaves on it.

Serve hot with some hot chapatis or with daal and rice.

Happy Cooking Everyone!

Tips:
How do I steam the veggies in my rice cooker?
Add 3 cups of water to the rice cooker bowl. Place your steamer over it and put in your french beans in the steamer basket and spread them around. Try not to stack up the beans on top of each other. We need even cooking. Turn on the rice cooker and your timer for 5 mins. After 5 mins, stir the french beans around with a spoon. Cover them again and keep the timer on for another 5 mins. Check on the french beans for 80% doneness. You should be done by now. Keep cooking for 2 - 2 more mins if your french beans are not ready yet. Simple ain't it?

You can also pressure cook the beans for 1 whistle.