Today’s recipe is a bit of an ugly duckling – so much so that I debating sharing this one. However, it’s tasty enough that I just couldn’t keep it too myself. This side dish is the perfect accompaniment to a buddha bowl or takeout-style evening.
Inspired by my mother’s recipe for satay, this side dish has been simplified, uses similar flavours and is much easier to make. I’ve built this around frozen veg and other shelf stable ingriedients so it’s perfect for when you can’t get to the shops (like now!). However If you want to sub in fresh beans then this should work just as well.
- Makes: Serves 4 (as a side)
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- 2 large onions (about 300g)
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 400g Frozen Green Beans
- 2 Tbsp Natural Crunchy Peanut Butter
- 1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil (optional)
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp Chilli flakes
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
Directions
Chop your onion and mince the garlic and that’s really all the prep you need to do for this recipe thanks to the joy of frozen veg.
Heat a large pan, or even a wok, with half the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until onion is softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the cumin and garlic and stir, cooking an additional 30 seconds or until it become fragrant.
Turn heat up to medium-high heat and add about half of the green beans. Stir well to mix the onions and garlic with the green beans. Leave it be, stirring only very occasionally and let the beans start to brown, but be careful not to let them burn.
Add the rest of the green beans, along with the peanut butter, sesame oil, and the rest of the coconut oil. Stir well to make sure everything is fully combined and once again leave to brown turning only as needed. The peanut butter will cause the dish to brown quicker this time so keep your eye on it.
Once the beans are browned to your liking, add the chilli flakes and taste – seasoning as needed. Serve.
Notes
Allergy Notes: This is one of those recipes that are just naturally gluten free and vegan but you might be in trouble here if nuts are an issue. I’d really be interested to know if crunchy sunbutter would work well instead of the peanut butter – let me know if you try it!
