I do like many of Meera Sodha’s Indian family recipes, especially ones found in her cookbook, Made in India: Recipes from an Indian Family Kitchen, published in 2015. Green beans are a favorite vegetable and bring back great memories of my days as a gardener when these delectable beans were an important part of my garden and always in my diet. I canned all the surplus and there was always plenty as I tried out new varieties of beans. I grew all kinds of green beans; runner, bush, haricots vert, pole, snap and purple beans that turned green when cooked. I also grew a number of beans for fun such as Great Northern Beans or Cranberry Beans which are cream colored with red speckles. They were also one of the few vegetables with big seeds the kids could plant with great success.
I am familiar with yellow mustard seeds but did not use black mustard seeds until I started to make Indian cuisine. Apparently, black mustard seeds are one of the most regularly used spices in Gujarati cooking. When the seeds hit the hot oil they start to pop, like popcorn, and this releases the nutty, mustardy flavors. Black seeds are more pungent and spicier in flavor and have a more bitter and peppery flavor than yellow mustard seeds.
Green Beans with Black Mustard Seeds and Fresh Ginger
- 1 tbsp. canola oil
- 1/2 tsp. black mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
- 1 lb. french green beans, ends removed (I prefer the beans thinner but this is all I could find)
- 1-3/4-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
Add the oil to a frying pan which has a lid. When the oil is hot, add the black mustard seeds and sesame seeds.
Once the mustard seeds start to pop add the trimmed green beans. Stir-fry them for a couple of minutes, then add the grated ginger. Stir-fry for a couple minutes more, then add the tomato paste, turmeric, salt and black pepper and combine well.
Turn down the heat, cover with the lid and cook for another 5-6 minutes or until the beans are tender. Remove from the heat and serve. Simple, Simple!!!
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.om
Though I’m a big fan of regular mustard, I’ve never used black mustard seeds, so am very intrigued by it. It must add such an interesting flavor to the beans. I also like the ginger in there. I hope to find some nice fresh green beans and give it a try. 🙂
The black mustard seeds are different in terms of color and flavor. They are popular in Bengali and southern Asian cuisines. It’s a matter of taste as I believe yellow could be used for a milder flavor.
Thanks for the info! 🙂
Very nice! Now I have to seek out black mustard seeds!
Cheers to Amazon!
I think you have made us all curious about black mustard seeds. This sounds like a nice and different recipe to try.
The black mustard seeds definitely have a different taste and go perfectly with the green beans. Like you said the recipe is different but good!
Love the throwback picture – Good times, good memories!
You can see the bean seeds in the first row, probably planted by Bethany. They all look like serious gardeners!