Bonchi Thel Dala, Sri Lankan Tempered Green Beans
Bonchi thel dala is green beans done the Sri Lankan short-order way: a fast, dry tempering of mustard, dried chile, curry leaf, and pandan that the beans get tossed through over high heat. It sits in the same family as the deviled potatoes and okra on this site, and the technique is identical, only the vegetable changes. Keep the heat high and the water minimal so the beans blister and hold their snap, then finish with lime off the heat. Coconut has no part in a thel dala, so this one needs nothing left out to fit here.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Green beans, cut in 1-inch lengths
- 1 whole Red onions, sliced
- 3 cloves Garlic, sliced
- 12 leafs Curry leaves
- 1 piece Pandan leaf, knotted, 2-inch
- 1 tsp Brown mustard seed
- 2 wholes Dried Thai chile, broken
- 1/2 tsp pure chile powder
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Curry powder
- 1 tbsp Lime juice
Method
- Warm a wide dry pan over medium-high heat and add the mustard seeds and broken chiles. When the seeds jump and the chiles darken, about 30 seconds, you have the dry temper the dish is named for. Thel dala means fried in a tempering, and building that temper first is the whole method.
- Add the onion, garlic, curry leaves, and knotted pandan with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water and cook until the onion softens, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in the turmeric, chile powder, and curry powder for 30 seconds to bloom them, then add the green beans and toss to coat.
- Cook over high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, adding water a spoonful at a time only when the pan looks dry. You want the beans to blister and stay bright green with a bite, not stew into softness: a thel dala is deviled and dry, never saucy.
- Pull the pan off the heat, squeeze over the lime, and remove the pandan. The acid lifts the whole dish in place of salt. Serve with rice.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 70 calories, 3 g protein, 4 g fiber, 20 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
