Malaysian Sambal-Fried Green Beans (Kacang Panjang Goreng)

This lightning-fast Malaysian vegetable dish combines green beans, tomatoes and fiery sambal chilli paste.

This super-fast Malaysian dish combines green beans with a fiery relish of onion, garlic, tomatoes and sambal. Sambal is a coarse chilli paste from Malaysia/Indonesia which you can find in most large supermarkets, and in every Asian supermarket. You will often find a type of sambal called ‘belacan’, which contains a mixture of chilli paste and dried shrimp paste. Whichever you prefer to use, the flavour is intensely aromatic and savoury and adds instant fire and umami to anything it touches: meats, seafood, fried rice and even vegetable dishes like this one. ‘Kacang panjang goreng’ simply means ‘fried green beans’ in Malay, and it’s a simple preparation that’s often served with ‘nasi lemak’ (a traditional Malaysian lunch spread) or it can be served as a simple, stand-alone dish with jasmine rice, perhaps with prawns or shrimps added to round it out. One of the best features of this stir-fry dish is the crispy fried onions on top. Store-bought crispy onions are really great for this and heighten the crunch of the green beans. Let’s go!

INGREDIENTS (serves 2x)

• 15-20x green beans/long beans

• 1x shallot, diced

• 1x clove garlic, sliced

• 1-2 tsps sambal chilli paste or belacan (chilli-shrimp paste) - available in Asian supermarkets)

• 4-5 cherry tomatoes, halved

• pinch of salt, or to taste

• 1/2 tsp sugar - or to taste

• 1-2 tsps lime juice - or to taste

• 1-2 tsps crispy fried onions

• To serve: prawns/shrimp/fish, rice

WALKTHROUGH

1. Place a frying or wok onto medium-high heat. Allow it to preheat for 2-3 minutes before adding oil.

2. Add 2 tsps oil followed by the sliced green beans. Fry for 20-30 seconds until blistered.

   

3. Add the diced shallot and sliced garlic. Fry for a further 30 seconds until fragrant, keeping the mixture moving.

   

4. Add the 1-2 tsps sambal/balacan paste and fry briefly until fragrant - it may make you cough!

   

5. Add the 4-5 halved cherry tomatoes. Fry for 1-2 minutes until the tomatoes wrinkle and submit their juice.

   

6. Turn off the heat. Add a pinch of salt, 1/2 tsp sugar and 1-2 tsps of lime juice. Adjust the seasoning to your taste.

7. Serve the beans with a Malaysian nasi lemak plate, or serve with rice for a light lunch. A scatter of 1-2 tsps crispy fried onions adds additional crunch. You can add some fish or prawns/shrimp to make a more substantial meal. Enjoy!