Potato Beans Curry

I had no clue that potato and beans would go so well together until I actually got to taste it at my office cafeteria here in the US. It was one of those times when the cafe got expanded with Indian lunch on the menu and I was so happy that I could try something homey, hot & spicy, apart from the usual salads & sandwiches. First day on the menu, a piece of naan, paneer subzi, aloo beans subzi & a little white rice - I was literally drooling at the mouth-watering combo. Though it was a little pricey, I loved all of them, and of all, aloo-beans subzi was my favorite. 

Since then, I have been making this at home, but only recently I got the actual recipe and also learnt that it is a Punjabi speciality! This recipe of potato & beans pairs up so well with rice/roti. 

The trick to get a flavorful subzi is to slow-cook potatoes & beans on low heat until they are completely cooked and all the flavors of the masala are blended in. If you are pressed with time, you can cover & cook, but you might not be able to get that roasted texture on potatoes. Tender (french) beans works best for this recipe, but you can substitute with regular beans too! 

Try this subzi and I hope, you would love it as much as we did!

Basic Info
Complexity - Simple
Prep time - 15 mins
Cook time - 30 mins
Serves - 3-4

Ingredients
Potatoes - 4-5 nos (medium sized)
French Beans - 2 cups (1 inch long pieces)
Turmeric powder - 3/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Pav Bhaji Masala - 1 tsp (replace with garam masala)
Amchur powder - 1 tsp
Hing - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method

Chop potatoes & beans into 1 inch long pieces.

Take a thick-bottomed pan and heat 2 tbsp of oil. When hot, add potatoes and cook for 3-4 mins. Stir once in between.

Next, add beans and stir well so that the oil coats all the beans. Let the beans & potatoes cook for about 10 mins on low-medium heat. Stir in between so that the vegetables doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, hing & salt and cook for about 8-10 mins on low-medium heat until all the flavors are blended in.

Finally, add pav bhaji masala, amchur powder, give it a mix and saute until the beans are completely cooked and the potatoes are crispy.

Remove from heat and serve with roti/rice.