Green Bean Stew

Next up a side dish to go along with my delicious rice, posted yesterday. It goes well with plain rice as well.
I discovered this recipe in a Middle Eastern cookbook a long time ago and again found it in another Middle Eastern cookbook by Suzanne Hussaini. Its a lovely stew made with green beans and tomatoes and loads of garlic. I made mine with less garlic than the original one used curry leaves and chillies and spiced it up with cumin and a tiny bit of chilli powder.
Recipe : Green Bean Stew, recipe adapted from  the recipe, green bean stew from the book When Suzane Cooks by Suzanne Hussaini

250g Green beans,
1 onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, peeled
4 medium tomatoes
2 tsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp good quality red chilli paste
1-2 green chillies, slit in half lengthwise
8 curry leaves
1 cup water
oil about 2 tbsp
salt
1 tsp sugar

Wash and string the beans ( important to wash the vegetables thoroughly, you never know how they were handled :P ), cut the beans diagonally and set aside.

Bring a pan of water to boil, once it starts to boil add the tomatoes, and whole, switch off the heat cover and set aside for 10 minutes. , drain, cool, under tap water and remove the skin of the tomatoes. ( you can watch a video here on how to skin tomatoes. Cut in half and place in a blender along with the garlic and one cup of water. Blend to a puree.

Heat pan with oil, add onions and curry leaves and let it soften a little. Add the tomato mixture, along with spices, tomato paste and chillies.

Stir in the beans, and bring the mixture to a boil then simmer covered for 10 -15 minutes.... till beans are tender.

Taste add salt and sugar. The sugar cuts the sharpness of the tomatoes.  The sauce will be reduced and slightly thick.

Enjoy as a side dish with rice .