Real Food Summer 2019

Charred Green Beans with Crispy Chickpeas and Curry Yogurt
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
This dish defines contrast—smoky grilled green beans, cool yogurt, spicy curry, crunchy chickpeas. I love it so much. Long beans and
round chickpeas can be a bit unruly; feel free to cut the beans into smaller pieces or slightly smash the chickpeas before crisping if you
like. Similarly, depending on the type of yogurt you’re using, it might be thick or thin. If it is thin, drizzle; if thick, plop. If you are not a
curry fan, I also like this recipe with paprika or cumin instead.
1 pound green beans, roughly chopped
¼ cup neutral oil, plus more for cooking the beans
pinch salt
2 teaspoons curry powder
¾ cup yogurt
1 cup Crispy Chickpeas (See recipe right)
½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1. Toss the green beans with the neutral oil and a big pinch of
salt and grill.
2. Heat the ¼ cup oil over high heat and when hot, add the curry
powder and let bloom.
3. Stir the curry oil into the yogurt.
4. Transfer the beans from the grill to a serving platter and drizzle
with curry yogurt.
5. Scatter with the Crispy Chickpeas and cilantro and serve.
Cook’s Note: Add green beans to the list of things that can be
chucked onto the grill throughout the summer. The goal is to char
the green beans while keeping the structure of the beans intact.
To keep the green beans from slipping annoyingly through the
grates, place a roasting or cooking rack on the grill running perpendicular
to the grill grates, forming a mesh fine enough to catch
the beans. Dress the beans with as little oil as possible to keep the
grill from flaming up and blackening the beans. You can always
add more oil or dressing to the beans after they are cooked.
In case of lack of grill or excess bad weather, remember that
a broiler is effectively an upside-down grill and works well too.
Crispy Chickpeas MAKES 1½ CUPS
1. Heat the oven to 350°F to 425°F—the hotter the oven, the faster
they’ll cook. Drain 1 (15-ounce) can of chickpeas and rinse well.
2. Dress the chickpeas with ½ cup olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and
½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional).
3. Spread on a foil-lined baking sheet in a single layer and bake
until crispy and deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove
from the oven and let cool, keeping in a single layer or they will
steam and soften. Keep at room temperature until ready to use.
If they get soft, re-crisp in the oven (a few minutes).
CHARRED GREEN BEANS
WITH CRISPY CHICKPEAS
AND CURRY YOGURT
42 real food summer 2019