This is one of the most easiest preparations of vegetable and it easily goes with plain rice. Mezhukku puratti in malayalam literally means ‘smeared in oil’. Mezhukkupuratti can be made with different vegetables like beetroot, carrot, raw plantains, yam, potatoes,brinjal etc but with slight variations depending on the vegetables. This recipe is minimally adapted from my one of my favourite books on kerala recipes ‘Lalitha Pachakam’ by Nikhila Govind.
Beans Mezhukkupuratti (Kerala Beans Stir-fry)
Cooking time : ¬10-12 minutes
Ingredients:
2 ½ - 2 ¾ cups, 300g French beans washed and cut into 1” pieces
1/3 cup finely chopped onion, a small onion
¾ teaspoon Black mustard seeds
2 Tablespoon coconut oil (Can substitute with veg.oil, but it is not authentic and the flavour would differ slightly)
1-2 Green chilli slit into 2
2 twigs curry leaves
2 dry red chillies crushed
3-4 garlic cloves finely chopped
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (optional)
Salt to taste
¼ cup – 1/3 cup water
Preparations:
1. Heat oil in a saucepan or wok. When smoking hot, add mustard seeds. As soon as they splutter, throw in curry leaves and red chilli flakes. Sauté for few seconds making sure not to burn them.
2. Reduce the heat and add in chopped onions, garlic and green chillies. Sauté until onions and garlic go soft. Add turmeric powder and sauté for few seconds.
3. Add in the cut beans and salt. Stir well. Add enough water, cover and cook on low flame until the beans are cooked and water is all absorbed. Serve hot alongside rice. You can also add a handful of coconut slices while sautéing the onions if you like them.