Nepali Green Bean-Sesame Salad

So this is my first ever attempt at making a Nepalese dish.  I actually Googled it (and found this Wikipedia entry) because I had no idea what Nepalese food was really like and I was curious.  The closest type of cuisine that Alex and I can recall trying in the past is Tibetan food.  Both cuisines feature meat dumplings called "momos," although that might be the extent of their similarity.  It seems that Nepalese cuisine is heavily influenced by Indian food, whereas Tibetan food is more heavily influenced by Chinese and Uyghur food, which makes sense given that Nepal is sandwiched between China (Tibet really) and India.  As I have never traveled to either region, I'm really not sure either way.  What I am sure of is that I thoroughly enjoyed this green bean salad.  I know that green bean salad sounds boring, but this was very refreshing.  I thought that the combination of the crisp-tender green beans, the tart lemon juice, the slightly spicy chilis, and the ground toasted sesame seeds was really nice and totally unlike any other green bean dish we have ever made before.  Alex preferred the green beans to the Luscious Chile-Oil Tofu dish we made alongside it, but I have to say that I am torn.  I thought both dishes were pretty tasty!

Recipe after the jump!

Nepali Green Bean-Sesame Salad

Mangoes & Curry Leaves: Culinary Travels Through the Great Subcontinent

By Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb green beans or yard-long beans

3 tbsp sesame seeds

2 tbsp peanut oil or vegetable oil

2 green cayenne chilis, seeded and sliced into rings (we used one green Thai chili instead)

1/2 tsp salt

2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, to taste

chopped coriander leaves or several mint leaves, minced (optional)

Cook the beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender and still firm.  Drain, refresh in cold water for a moment, and then drain again.  Trim the beans and slice on a diagonal into 1/2-inch lengths.  Set aside in a bowl.

Heat a dry heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the sesame seeds, lower the heat to medium, and dry roast, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until lightly touched with gold and aromatic.  Transfer to a spice/coffee grinder and grind to a coarse powder, then set aside.

Heat the oil in a small heavy skillet or wok over medium-high heat.  Toss in the chopped chilis and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, or until lightly touched with brown.  Pour the chilis and hot oil over the beans and toss.  Sprinkle on the ground sesame seeds and salt and toss.  Add the lemon juice and toss.

Serve warm or at room temperature.  If you wish, add chopped coriander or mint to the salad just before serving.