Every guest cook who comes to the school introduces us to a few treasures which we incorporate into our repertoire. Madhur Jaffrey whose recipe this is has contributed more than most, I would recommend her books to anyone who would like to add a little spice to their lives.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 lb (450g) fresh green French beans
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon whole black mustard seeds
4 cloves garlic, peeled and very finely chopped
Pinch of chilli flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
freshly ground pepper
Method:
Trim the beans and cut them into 1 inch (2.5cm) lengths. Blanch the beans by dropping them into a pot of well-salted boiling water, boil rapidly for 3-4 minutes or until they are just tender. Drain immediately in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium flame. When hot, put in the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, put in the garlic. Stir the garlic pieces around until they turn light brown, (be careful not to burn or it will spoil the flavour). Put in chilli flakes and stir for a few seconds, add the green beans, salt and sugar. Stir to mix.
Turn the heat to medium-low.
Stir and cook the beans for 3-4 minutes or until they have absorbed the flavour of the spices.
Season with freshly ground black pepper, mix well and serve.
