Tumis Buncis, Indonesian Stir-Fried Green Beans in Sambal
Tumis buncis is the everyday Indonesian way with green beans: blistered fast, then bound in a quick sambal of shallot, garlic, chile, and tomato. The usual version starts in oil and finishes with kecap manis or shrimp paste, and this one leaves both out. The beans are charred in a dry pan for their smoke, and the sambal is balanced with tamarind for sourness and a single mashed date for the whisper of sweetness palm sugar would add. Keep the heat high while the beans blister, then drop it low so the shallots sweeten instead of scorch.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
- 3 wholes Shallots, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 3 wholes Thai bird chile, sliced
- 1 whole Fresh tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 tsp Tamarind paste
- 1 whole Medjool dates, pitted and mashed
Method
- Blister the green beans in a dry, hot pan over high heat, tossing every minute or so, until they are blackened in spots and just tender, about 6 minutes. Cooking them dry and hard is what oil-fried tumis does with a slick pan: the char concentrates the beans and gives them a smoky edge no amount of simmering can.
- Scoop the beans out and lower the heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and chiles with a splash of water and cook, scraping, until the shallots collapse and turn sweet, about 4 minutes. The water keeps them from catching and burning where oil would normally do the work.
- Stir in the chopped tomato and cook until it breaks down into a loose paste, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tamarind and mashed date and let them melt in. The tamarind brings the sour and the date the faint sweetness that palm sugar usually supplies, so the sambal tastes balanced without either.
- Return the beans and toss for a minute to coat. Taste: it should read hot, sour, and just off-sweet, with the beans still holding a bite. No salt goes in, so let the tamarind and chile carry it, and add a spoonful of water if the sambal tightens too much.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 90 calories, 4 g protein, 5 g fiber, 25 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.
