Recipe for simple yard long beans stir fry – Mekaral Thel dala. Recipe with step by step pictures.
This is a simple Sri Lankan style Long beans stir fry tempered with spices in oil. The slow cooking of the long beans makes it very flavourful along with the spice powders. Here is how to do Long Beans Thel dala.
Heat oil in a heavy pan and add in the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and the fenugreek seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the sliced garlic, chopped curry leaves and sliced onions. Add in a chopped tomato. Saute for a minute.
Add in the chopped long beans.
Add in the turmeric powder, black pepper powder and curry powder. Add in half a teaspoon of red chilli flakes. Adjust the chilli flakes according to your spice levels. Add in the salt. Toss well to combine.
Reduce the flame to low and cover the pan with a lid. We have not added any water. The moisture from the veggies will be enough. If you feel that the veggies are scorching at the bottom, then add in few tablespoons of water. Do not add more. Let the veggies cook with the pan covered for 10 minutes on a low flame. Toss the ingredients once in five minutes to avoid the veggies from burning at the bottom.
After ten minutes, scrape of the masalas sticking at the bottom with a spatula. Cook again with a covered lid for 3-4 minutes. If the mixture is very dry, sprinkle a little water.
Tasty long beans stir fry is ready. This is usually served as a side dish with rice and curry.
- 1.5 tablespoon peanut oil
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 3-4 fenugreek seeds
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 sprig curry leaves, chopped
- ½ cup sliced onions
- 1 tomato, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon curry powder (any store bought variety is fine)
- ½ teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 300 grams yard long beans (about 2 cups chopped beans)
- Heat oil in a heavy pan and add in the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the sliced garlic, chopped curry leaves and sliced onions. Add in a chopped tomato. Saute for a minute.
- Add in the turmeric powder, black pepper powder and curry powder. Add in half a teaspoon of red chilli flakes. Adjust the chilli flakes according to your spice levels. Add in the salt. Toss well to combine.
- Reduce the flame to low and cover the pan with a lid. We have not added any water. The moisture from the veggies will be enough. If you feel that the veggies are scorching at the bottom, then add in few tablespoons of water. Do not add more. Let the veggies cook with the pan covered for 10 minutes on a low flame. Toss the ingredients once in five minutes to avoid the veggies from burning at the bottom.
- After ten minutes, scrape of the masalas sticking at the bottom with a spatula. Cook again with a covered lid for 3-4 minutes. If the mixture is very dry, sprinkle a little water.
- Tasty long beans stir fry is ready. This is usually served as a side dish with rice and curry.
Should the veggies be added after the chilli flakes? This is what we call as kothavaranga right?
Hi Divya, you can add the chilli flakes along with the veggies.
Kothavarangai is cluster beans
This is yard long beans – karamani / thattapayir