Introduction

Hi, I am Ajay Chopra and I welcome you all. Today we’ll make a simple, homestyle French Beans Curry. This kind of recipe is very helpful—it’s tasty, healthy, budget-friendly, and gets ready quickly.

My mom had one style for all her curries. She used to grind onion, garlic, and ginger together and make a paste. When I became a chef, I asked her, “Why do you grind everything together? We usually cook them one by one.” She said, “Time nahi hai mere paas” Still, her curry always turned out delicious. So today, I’m sharing that same simple and lovely recipe with you.

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Ingredients of French Beans Curry Recipe

 

Portion servings: 3–4 pax
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 45 mins

 

For blanching french beans:

• French beans – 250 gms
• Water – as required
• Salt – ½ tsp

For onion-ginger-garlic paste:

• Onion – 2 pcs
• Ginger – 1 inch piece
• Garlic – 5-6 cloves
• Water – as required

For curd mixture:

• Curd – 1 cup
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1 tsp
• Jeera powder – ½ tsp

For gravy:

• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Jeera – 1 tsp
• Dry red chilli – 1 pc
• Onion-ginger-garlic paste – prepared above
• Curd mixture – prepared above
• Blanched french beans – 2 cups
• Salt – ½ tsp
• Water – as required
• Green chilli slits – 2-3 pcs

For namak & mirch paratha:

• Wheat flour dough – as required
• Ghee – as required
• Salt – a pinch
• Ajwain – a pinch
• Green chilli (chopped) – ½ tsp

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Instructions of French Beans Curry Recipe

Step 1. Make the onion-ginger-garlic paste

Roughly chop onions, garlic, and ginger. Add them into a pan with a little water and cook till soft. Let it cool, then blend into a smooth paste. This is the base of our curry and gives it a thick texture and deep flavor.

 

Step 2. Mix the curd and spices

Whisk the curd in a bowl until smooth. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and jeera powder. Mix well and keep aside. This curd masala gives tang and spice to our curry.

 

Step 3. Blanch the French beans

Wash and chop the french beans into small pieces. Boil water in a pan with ½ tsp salt. Add beans and blanch them for 3–4 minutes till bright green and slightly soft. Drain and keep aside.

 

Step 4. Cook the curry base

Heat oil in a kadhai. Add jeera and one dry red chilli and let them sizzle. Add the onion-ginger-garlic paste and sauté on medium flame till golden brown and dry. This will take 5–7 minutes. The raw smell should be gone and the paste should give a nice aroma.

 

Step 5. Add the curd mixture and beans

Reduce the flame to low. Slowly add the curd masala while stirring. Cook for 5–6 minutes till oil starts coming out and the masala thickens. Add a little water to avoid burning. Then add the blanched french beans and mix well. Add salt and a bit more water. Cover and cook for 7–8 minutes. Add green chilli slits in the last 2 minutes for extra flavor.

 

Step 6. Make the namak-mirchi paratha

Roll out wheat flour dough into a thick roti. Apply ghee, sprinkle salt, ajwain, and chopped green chillies. Fold it, roll again into lachha style. Cook on a hot tawa using ghee till golden and crispy on both sides. Serve hot with the curry.

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About the Recipe

In this French Beans Curry Recipe, we first heat some oil and add cumin seeds and dry red chilli. Then I add my mom’s special paste—onion, garlic, and ginger—ground together. This paste gives good thickness and flavor to the curry. I cook it well for about 5 to 7 minutes till the water dries up. Then I add well-whisked curd and some dry spices like turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder. I cook it for a few more minutes till oil starts coming out. Since curd already gives some sourness, I don’t add tomato or anything else. Now comes the main part—French beans. I wash and chop the French beans, then blanch them in salty hot water so they stay green and fresh. After blanching, I add them to the curry along with some salt and water. Then I add chopped green chillies and cover it for 5 to 7 minutes. That’s it. The curry is ready. I love eating this with green chilli paratha. It’s a simple but tasty weekday recipe, especially when you want something quick and homemade. I hope you will try this at home.

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Cooking Tips

• Grind onion, garlic, and ginger together to make one paste. It saves time and gives good taste.
• Cook the paste well for 5 to 7 minutes till it becomes dry and the raw smell goes away.
• Always whisk the curd well before adding it, so it doesn’t split in the curry.
• Cook the curd and spices for 2 to 3 minutes till the oil comes out a little.
• Blanch the French beans in salty hot water before adding. This keeps them green even after adding in sour gravy.
• Don’t skip chopped green chillies at the end. They add a fresh and spicy flavor to the curry.

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Pairing Guide

French Beans Curry tastes very good with green chilli paratha. I make lachha paratha by kneading normal wheat dough with some salt, ajwain, and chopped green chillies. It goes very well with this curry. You can also eat this French Beans Curry with simple roti or rice. But my favorite is with spicy paratha. It's a full meal on its own. You don’t need anything else. Just this curry and paratha, and your dinner is ready.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is French Beans Curry? French Beans Curry is a simple curry made with French beans, onion-garlic-ginger paste, curd, and some spices. It is easy to make and very tasty.

Why do we use onion, garlic, and ginger paste together? This is my mom’s style. She grinds all three together to save time and it gives a nice thick base to the curry.

Can I add tomato in French Beans Curry? In this recipe, we use curd for sourness, so we don’t need tomato. If you add tomato, the beans may lose their green color.

Why do we blanch the French beans? We blanch the beans in salty hot water so they stay green and fresh even after cooking in the curry.

Can I skip the green chillies? Yes, if you don’t like too much spice, you can skip green chillies. But they give a nice fresh taste at the end.

How long should I cook the paste? Cook the onion, garlic, and ginger paste for 5 to 7 minutes till all water dries up and it starts smelling nice.

Can I use any other vegetable in this curry? Yes, you can try this curry base with other green vegetables too, but French beans go best with this style.

What should I eat with French Beans Curry? You can eat it with lachha paratha, roti, or rice. I like it best with green chilli lachha paratha.

How much curd should I add? Add curd as per your taste. But make sure to whisk it properly before adding so it doesn’t split.

Is this French Beans Curry healthy? Yes, it is healthy. It uses very little oil, fresh vegetables, and homemade spices. It is good for regular meals.

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