Potato and Green Beans stir fry

I think this HAS to be the most delicious stir fry I’ve EVER made! It is so deceptively simple to make and yet has a ton of flavor because I added dried maldive fish and a tiny bit of lime pickle (if you want to make this dish vegan then just skip the dried fish because the pickle is the real star here).

I know that the thought of adding crushed dried fish to a dish may seem a bit odd, but trust me, it tastes delicious and not at all fishy (I mean, you HAVE to trust me, I avoid almost every type of seafood and NEVER eat fish if it tastes…well fishy).
The lime pickle adds a whole other layer of flavor that is…otherworldly. Just try it, you’ll see what I mean.

This goes best with rice and a good spicy curry, but honestly you can pair it with anything you’d like (it would even make for a good toastie!). Try it out and let me know what you think!

Ingredients

300g potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
200g green beans
2 small onions, thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
4-5 curry leaves, cut into thin strips
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp pepper powder
2 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 tsp crushed Maldive fish (optional)
1/4 tsp lime pickle (finely minced)
1/4 cup thick coconut milk
Salt
4 tbsp coconut oil

Boil the potatoes in some salted water with turmeric powder. Drain and set aside.

In a wok heat the coconut oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and once they start to pop, add the cumin seeds and minced garlic. When the garlic starts to turn brown add the onions, a pinch of salt and curry leaves.
Once the onions have become translucent, add the chilli flakes, pepper and curry powder, cook for 2-3 mins on low flame and then mix in the maldive fish and lime pickle. Add the coconut milk while stirring quickly, taste for seasoning (adjust according to your liking) and then add the green beans. Cover and cook for five mins (you can add a little more water if you like) then add the potatoes, mix well, cover and cook on low flame for 2 more mins.

Notes: 

• Go light on the pickle. Mince it until it’s very fine as you don’t want to be chewing on pickle while eating and add a little bit at a time until the flavor seems right to you.
• If you are using the dried fish, try to crush it until it’s very fine so that you don’t end up with large chunks in the dish. I usually use a pestle and mortar for this.
• For curry powders and pickles, try to get your hands on a Sri Lankan brand if possible, as only then will your dish taste exactly like mine. If that’s not possible, then I’d recommend tasting as you go along – just to make sure that the flavors match perfectly.
• As mentioned above, the dried fish is optional, and if you don’t use it then the dish becomes entirely vegan. Although some pickles do tend to use dried shrimp/fish so check the ingredients list carefully when you buy it!