Green Beans and Carrots with Ginger and Chiles
Finger Hot is the commercial name for this asian-type pepper that is actually very similar to fresh cayenne and can be used in any recipe to add heat without changing the flavor. It is a good chile to chop and use in stir fry.
They are thin-walled and measure about 1/2″ wide and 5″ to 8″ long. These chiles also dry very nicely.
Ingredients:
1 pound green beans (preferably long beans)
2 medium carrots
3-4 fresh finger-hot green chilies
1 (1″) cube fresh ginger
1 (1″) cube fresh galangal, optional
4-6 garlic cloves
2 shallots, or 1/2 onion
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
8-10 fresh or dried curry leaves, or 2 bay leaves
3/4 tsp. salt
Instructions:
Trim the beans and cut into 1″ pieces. Peel the carrots and cut into 2″ lengths, then cut each piece lengthwise into quarters and halve them.
Finely chop the green finger hot chiles. Peel the ginger and cut into paper-thin slices. Stack a few slices together at a time and cut them into a minute dice. If using fresh galangal, peel and dice it in the same way. Peel and finely chop the garlic and shallots.
Set a wok over a high heat and swirl in the oil. When the oil is hot, put in the chiles, ginger, galangal, garlic, shallots and curry (or bay) leaves. Stir and fry briefly until the spices start to brown.
Add the green beans, carrots and salt. Stir and fry for 1 minute and pour in the 3/4 cup of water and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender.
Recipe by Madhur Jaffrey.