Active Time

　　45 minutes

　　Total Time

　　45 minutes

　　I grew up on green beans thoren, and while I'll never tire of its crunchy deliciousness, I think adding corn makes it even better. And even though people don't often associate stir-fries with Indian cooking, this dish is a favorite in Kerala. It's a combination of diced vegetables and coconut, but the key is moistening the coconut so it can soak up the ground spices first. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings (as part of a large meal)

　　3/4 cup grated dried unsweetened coconut

　　3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

　　1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

　　1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

　　1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　1 small fresh green chile, such as serrano, Thai, or jalapeño, slit lengthwise with stem end intact

　　2 garlic cloves, crushed

　　1/4 cup water

　　Salt

　　2 tablespoons vegetable oil

　　1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds

　　1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

　　15 to 20 fresh curry leaves (optional)

　　1 pound green beans, thinly sliced crosswise (1/4 inch)

　　3 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs

　　

Step 1

Stir together coconut, cumin, coriander, cayenne, turmeric, chile, garlic, 1/4 cup water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.

　　

Step 2

Heat oil in a wok or 12-inch heavy skillet (not nonstick) over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then cook mustard seeds and red pepper flakes until mustard seeds begin to pop and/or turn gray. Add curry leaves (if using), covering skillet immediately as they crackle for a few seconds.

　　

Step 3

Add green beans and corn and stir-fry 8 minutes. Add coconut mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. If mixture becomes dry and begins to stick to bottom of wok, add a few tablespoons water. Season with salt.

　　Cooks' Notes:

　　•Indian ingredients can be mail-ordered from Kalustyans.com.

　　•Chile can be removed during cooking when the thoren is spicy enough for your taste.