There is a wide variety of vegetables that can be used in kootu dishes, and today we use a standard recipe with green or runner beans. Of course, it is delicious. It is the same as Brinjal Kootu but uses green beans. It is a variation suggested by Meenakshi Ammal in Vol 1 of Cook and See.

Similar recipes include Cluster Bean Kootu, Okra Tamarind Kootu, Elephant Yam Masiyal with Lime Juice, Brinjal Asadu, Cluster Bean Dal Kootu, and Ridged Gourd Dal.

Browse all of our Kootu recipes and all of our Green Bean dishes. All of our Indian recipes are here, and our Indian Essentials are here. Or explore our Mid Summer recipes.

Green Bean Kootu

ingredients

2 cups beans, top and tailed and chopped into 1-2cm pieces.

0.25 tspn turmeric powder

sea salt

2 cups toor dal (red gram dal)

small lump tamarind

1.25 – 1.5 tspn sambar powder

coconut milk or coconut shreds that have been finely ground

1 tspn jaggery

1 tspn rice flour

pinch asafoetida powder

8 – 10 curry leaves

a few sambar vadams (optional)

tadka

1 tspn brown Mustard seeds

1 tspn urad dal (black gram dal)

1 tspn channa dal (bengal gram dal)

1 Tblspn ghee or Indian sesame oil

method

Cook the toor dal until tender and disintegrating. Do not drain.

Simmer the beans until crisp-tender.

Make tamarind juice by soaking the tamarind in hot water for 15 – 20 mins, then strain, reserving the water. Push the pulp through the strainer to extract as much as you can, leaving the seeds and fibres behind.

Heat the tamarind water, and add the beans, salt, sambar powder and enough water to cover the beans. Bring to a simmer.

Add the cooked toor dal, jaggery, asafoetida and pinched curry leaves. Mix well and simmer for a few moments. Add the coconut milk or finely ground coconut mixed to a paste with water. Then add the rice flour mixed to a paste with water, and bring back to a simmer while stirring. Continue stirring until the kootu thickens. Remove from the heat.

Make a tadka by heating the ghee or sesame oil in a tadka pan or small pan, and add the mustard seeds. Allow to pop and then add the urad dal and channa dal. When they turn golden, pour the oil and spices onto the kootu.

Serve and enjoy.