Despite the name, Shiva insists that this spicy, savory green bean dish is uniquely Indian and certainly Asia and India share several culinary roots. Regardless of who invented it, this dish was a delightful surprise.
I worried that the beans were going to be oily, overcooked and drowned in sauce. Not so my friends, not so. And even though everything on the plate was delicious, it was the beans that I wanted to eat the entire pot of. However, there were guests and I would have had to fight Shiva for the beans, which frankly seemed rude. He is, after all, not only teaching me Indian cuisine, but hosting these affairs, so I just had a normal portion. Twice.
Manchurian Beans
1/2 red onion, diced
2 pounds green beans
2 green chilies, minced (we used small Thai chilies)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce (to taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic paste
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon sriracha
1 1/2 tablespoons evaporated cane sugar
1-1/2 cup water
Sauce Thickener
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water
Combine all the sauce ingredients, soy, ginger, garlic, sugar, chili-garlic paste, and sriracha into a bowl mix until the sugar has dissolved. Then pour into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow sauce to simmer for 3-5 minutes until it begins to thicken slightly. Add water and bring back to a boil and simmer for another 3-5 minutes.
In the mean time, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a pan and add the red onion and the chilies. Fry the onions until soft but not brown.
In a separate pan, sauté green beans in 1 tablespoon oil until done, but still crisp. About 5 minutes. Add the onions and chilies and stir. Add Manchurian grave/sauce and the flour/ water mixture and stir until the sauce thickens. As soon as that happens, about 1 minute, pull from heat, stir in cilantro and serve.
Food Thinking 