The vibrant hue of French green beans in creamy and delicate poppy seeds sauce, cooked in mustard oil is just the kind of curry you need to add variety to your dinner rotations. An easy Indian dish that is ready in under 30 minutes and pairs well with steamed rice, flatbread or naan.
There is something so nice about recipes as simple as this. I mean, if you can get fresh, home made food that tastes so good with such little effort, there is no reason to not cook at home, right?! There is a myth that curries are complicated, require lots of ingredients, are spicy, oily and so on.....while that is true for some curries, there are so many delicious curries that are so easy to make! For example this mung beans curry comes together with such little effort. Recipes such as this tender okra fry and saag paneer are such winners as well.
What are your favourite low effort recipes? Do let me know in the comments!
About this Recipe
This mild and creamy green bean curry is a classic dish from Bengal, India. I am a big fan of Bengali cuisine and dishes that include poppy seeds hold a special place in my heart! Poppy seeds are used a lot in Bengali cooking. Of all the poppy seeds recipes, my all time favourite is the popular and much loved potatoes in poppy seeds sauce (Aloo Posto) and Sheem Posto (flat green beans in poppy seeds sauce). Using tender green beans is my adaptation of Sheem Posto, when flat green beans are not available in the market.
This gluten free vegan curry has no onion and garlic. Under 200 calories per serving (see detailed nutritive values chart below the recipe card), this low calorie dish is a great source of dietary fiber and thus a fantastic inclusion in your weight loss journey. This dish is also rich in calcium and iron.
What is Postu?
Postu or Posto is the Bengali name for Poppy seeds. In Hindi it is called khus khus, in Kannada it is called gasagase and in Telugu it is called gasagasalu.
Poppy seeds are the tiny, hard, kidney shaped oilseed of the poppy flower. They come in 2 colours: the blue-grey variety is most common in European cookery and the ivory coloured seeds are more popular in Indian cooking. Although the poppy is a source of opium, the seeds of the flower lose their narcotic tendencies are they ripen.
Poppy seeds benefits
We all have heard of the phrase that good things come in small packages, haven't we? Well, this truly applies to poppy seeds - these tiny seeds are packed with healing/ health powers. Do you know that the poppy seeds have strong anti inflammatory properties and therefore widely used in many traditional health treatment and therapies for treating inflammation and sleep disorders?! They are also a rich source of essential oils and minerals. Read more about the health benefits of poppy seeds.
Cooking with poppy seeds
In European/Western cooking, poppy seeds are usually used in bakery items - toppings for bagels or in muffins. In Indian cooking however, they are used, sometimes along with other nuts and seeds, as gravy/sauce for curries. There are some amazing desserts using poppy seeds as well such as khuskhus halwa and poppy seeds payasam.
Poppy seeds taste best when they are ground to a smooth, creamy consistency. The best way to get that outcome is to soak them in warm water for sometime before you grind them. Toasting them lightly before soaking enhances the flavour even further.
Recipe ingredients for green beans curry in poppy seeds sauce
This recipe requires less than 10 ingredients
- Green Beans: French green beans that are available so abundantly throughout the year these days are what I have used in this recipe. Just remember to use tender green beans for best results. Nowadays we get beans that are trimmed and ready to use. If not, do cut off the bottom hard bit. I cut the beans into ½ inch pieces and steam them for 5 minutes. Steaming is the best way to cook green beans as it does two things: 1) keeps the vibrant green colour of the beans intact and 2) cooks the dish faster. You may ask: can I use frozen green beans or canned green beans? My answer is: yes to frozen green beans. Steam them from frozen for 5-7 minutes. I would not recommend using canned green beans for this recipe because they can become quite mushy in the dish and that can be quite a put off! I have been asked many times - Are string beans and green beans the same? Yes, they are! You may also use flat green beans or long (yard) beans for this recipe.
- Poppy Seeds: This recipe calls for the "white" (actually ivory-coloured) poppy seeds. Soak them in warm water for 15 minutes. Soaking the poppy seeds softens them and will make a smooth and creamy sauce.
- Green chillies: I use the milder variety for this recipe. If you like a bit more heat, then do feel free to use chillies to suit your taste.
- Mustard oil: I love cooking with mustard oil. It adds a distinctive flavour and yellowish tint to the dish. While I do not use it for all the dishes, there are some dishes for which I cannot think of using any other oil! One such dish being this chargrilled eggplant curry. Mustard oil is quite pungent and therefore when cooking with mustard oil, to temper its pungency, you should heat it to the smoking point. I would urge you to try this recipe with mustard oil. However if you are not up to it, feel free to use sunflower oil or any neutral oil of your choice.
- Nigella seeds: I use these tiny black seeds in this recipe to bring the flavour of onions to this dish. I love the nuttiness of nigella seeds! Nigellas seeds are known as Kalonji in Hindi.
- Dried red chilli: Infusing the mustard oil with dried red chilli emanates such a lovely aroma that will surely tingle your senses! Use a mild variety - one that will give you the flavour without the heat.
- Sugar: adding a dash of sugar enhances the sweetness of the green beans. The sugar also helps in preserving the bright green colour of the beans. I use soft brown sugar for this recipe. You may use sugar of your choice.
Have you tried this recipe? Do let me know how you liked it. I would love to hear from you!
Here are more recipes without onion and garlic recipes?
- Bitter Melon Recipe - Vegan Curry
- Bottle Gourd Recipe
- Cilantro Mint Chutney with Amla (Gooseberry)
- Coconut and Mint Chutney
- Comforting Vegan Stew (GF)
- Cucumber Raita {Indian Yogurt Dip} Recipe
Nutritive Values of Green beans curry in poppy seeds sauce
Note: The information shown is based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
| Servings: 2 | |
|---|---|
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 194 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 15.9g | 20% |
| Saturated Fat 1.8g | 9% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 1225mg | 53% |
| Total Carbohydrate 10.5g | 4% |
| Dietary Fiber 3.8g | 13% |
| Total Sugars 6.7g | |
| Protein 4.5g | |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Calcium 305mg | 23% |
| Iron 2mg | 14% |
| Potassium 139mg | 3% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. |
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