Masaledar Sem

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb green beans(trim the end and then cut the beans in 1/2 cross wide)
• 1 1/2" long fresh ginger(peel and chop coarsely) 1" piece thick
• 10 cloves garlic peeled
• 1 cup water
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 2 tsp ground coriander seeds
• 2 medium tomatoes, peeled(put tomatoes in very hot water for a few seconds, peel off the skin and finely chop)
• salt to taste
• freshly ground pepper
• 3 tbsp lemon juice(or to taste)

Method:

CPut ginger and garlic into a food processor and add 1/2 cup water. Blend until fairly smooth. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy saucepan over a medium flame. When hot put in the cumin seeds. Stir for 1/2 a minute. Pour in the ginger-garlic paste. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes. Put in the coriander and stir a few times. Put in the chopped tomatoes. Stir and cook for 2 minutes while mashing the tomato pieces with the back of a slotted spoon. Put int the beans, add salt and the cup of water and simmer them. COver, turn heat to low and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the beans are tender. Remove the cover. Add the lemon juice and a generous amount of freshly ground pepper. Turn up the heat and boil away the remaining liquid stirring the beans gently as you do so.