Having lived in Indonesia for so long, this was my mom’s favorite side-dish and, by chance, was the last thing I cooked for her. It’s been years since I last ate it—not sure why because it’s a really great recipe—and I wasn’t prepared for the wave of memories it brought back.

Isn’t it amazing how food can make those people we miss seem so nearby? Like I can pick up the phone and just call her. For the longest time that’s what I did; I would dial her number before I realized I couldn’t call her anymore.

But anyway… back to the recipe.

Normally I use santen for this dish. Santen is basically a concentrated coconut creme; boiled down coconut milk that’s sold in cubes. For this dish I use half a cube if you want to use santen for this as well. I used coconut milk this time!

I also use sambal. Sambal is a condiment made of chili peppers and spices and it can be sweet, hot or flavorful, all depends on your personal preferences. It can be replaced with 1/2 to 1 finely minced chili pepper.


Ingredients:

1 1/2 pound green beans
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
3 heaping tbsp coconut cream (what floats on top)
1 tsp hot sambal or 1/2 red chili pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 cup unsalted peanuts
1 tsp dried coconut
2 tbsp oil
salt

If you happen to have the following spices in your pantry, add them as well.

Optional:

1/2 tsp ground lemongrass (sereh)
1/2 tsp ground coriander (ketoembar)

Directions:

It’s so simple. So very basic and simple. Green beans, onion and garlic.

Trim the beans and parboil them for 10 to 12 minutes in lightly salted water. Don’t cook the heck out of them.

Chop the onion and grate the garlic.

This is what separates the good from the bad coconut milk; good coconut milk has really thick cream floating on top and watery coconut milk at the bottom. I use the cream.

Heat the oil and sauté the onions. Give them 5 minutes over low to medium heat.

Drain the beans and rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process. Gotta love my retro and ancient Tupperware colander.

Surinam sambal is the best there is for me. It’s nice and hot. You can use a finely minced chili pepper instead.

After 5 minutes you add the garlic, turmeric, sambal (and other spices when you use them). Give this 30 more seconds.

Spoon in 3 full table spoons of the thick coconut cream.

Wait for it to melt. Gah, this smells so good. Bring it to a boil.

Season it with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the green beans.

Let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Until the sauce has cooked down a bit and sticks to the beans.

This is optional but it adds flavor and texture to the beans.

Put some unsalted peanuts in your food processor, add a sprinkling dried coconut to it and blitz. Sprinkle all over the beans.

Serve this with a nice beef stew (Beef Rendang is delicious) and steamed rice and you got yourself the best meal ever!