Sri Lankan-style green bean curry brings crunchy beans, warm spices and creamy coconut together in a dish that feels both light and satisfying. Aromatic curry leaves, mustard seeds and fenugreek create a fragrant base, while coconut milk softens the heat from chilli. Served with steamed basmati rice, it makes an inviting, speedy vegan supper.
Prep: less than 30 mins
Cook: 10 to 30 mins
Serves: Serves 2
Dietary: Dairy-free, Egg-free, Pregnancy-friendly, Vegan, Vegetarian
By Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen Recipes
The curry offers moderate calories with healthy fats from coconut milk, fibre from green beans and shallots, and plenty of flavour from spices rather than added sugar.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the curry
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 20 curry leaves, plus 8 fried curry leaves to serve
- 4 banana shallots, peeled and sliced
- 3 Thai green chillies
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 500g/1lb 2oz green beans, trimmed
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 2 tsp Sri Lankan curry powder or madras curry powder
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 400ml tin coconut milk
- 20g/¾oz fresh coriander, chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
- freshly steamed basmati rice
- 8 fried curry leaves
Customise
- Use runner beans or French beans in place of green beans; just slice to a similar size for even cooking.
- Swap Thai green chillies for milder green chillies if you prefer a softer heat, or remove the seeds to tone it down.
- Choose light coconut milk if you want a slightly leaner curry that still feels creamy.
- Stir through a handful of cooked chickpeas at the end to make the curry even more filling while keeping it vegan.
Method
This Sri Lankan-style green bean curry cooks quickly, so have everything chopped and ready. You can steam the rice while the curry simmers so both are ready together.
Spice Base (5 minutes)
- Warm the whole spices. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the black mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and 20 curry leaves, and fry for about 1 minute until the mustard seeds start to crackle and the curry leaves turn glossy and fragrant.
- Soften the aromatics. Add the sliced banana shallots, Thai green chillies and crushed garlic to the pan. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the shallots begin to soften and the garlic loses its raw edge.
Build the Curry (5 minutes)
- Add beans and ground spices. Tip in the trimmed green beans and stir so they are coated in the aromatic oil. Sprinkle over the ground turmeric, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, chilli powder, Sri Lankan curry powder or madras curry powder, and add the cinnamon stick. Cook for a further 2 minutes to toast the spices gently.
- Pour in coconut milk. Add the coconut milk and 200ml/7fl oz water to loosen the mixture, stirring well so the spices combine with the liquid. If the sauce looks very thick, add a little more water so the beans have room to simmer.
Simmer and Finish (10–15 minutes)
- Simmer until tender. Bring the curry up to a gentle simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes, or until the green beans are just softened but still have a slight bite. Adjust the heat so the coconut milk does not boil too vigorously.
- Season and add herbs. Taste and season with salt and more black pepper if needed. Stir in the chopped fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime if you like a brighter finish (the original mentions lime but not in the ingredients, so add to taste).
- Serve with rice. Spoon the Sri Lankan-style green bean curry over freshly steamed basmati rice. Scatter with the fried curry leaves just before serving for extra texture and aroma.