My Kuwaiti-born, US-educated, Palestinian and fun-loving Cyprus girl friend Rana shared these addictive beans with our multi-cultural Dubai book club one night. Everyone loved them. Okra can be used instead of green beans for a tasty variation.
I suggest using frozen veggies because they are convenient, and often fresher than the wimpy things you find in the market. Of course you can use fresh veggies, especially during growing season. If you do, increase the cooking time accordingly. Serve any leftovers as a cold salad with a few black olives and some plain yogurt on the side.
TIME: 30 MINUTES
SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped, about 2 cups
4 cloves garlic, chopped, about 1 tablespoon
1 pound frozen green beans
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (approximately 1 ½ cups) or 1-14 ounce can plum tomatoes, with juice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Crushed red chili flakes to taste
• Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add onion and garlic to skillet. Cook, stirring, 4-5 minutes to soften. Do not brown.
• Add green beans, cook and stir another 4-5 minutes, until crisp tender. If using okra, toss gently in pan to avoid breaking up pods.
• Stir in tomatoes. Lower heat and add tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of water, sugar, salt, black pepper and crushed red chili flakes to taste.
• Partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, another 3-4 minutes until vegetables are cooked. Okra will take a bit longer than green beans. You may need to add more water if pan becomes dry.
• Serve hot or at room temperature.
