Sri Lankan Green Bean Curry
A simple Sri Lankan Green Been Curry with Carrots, cooked the way we make it at home growing up. A flavorful vegetable curry for your next rice and curry!
In most Sri Lankan homes, green bean curry is cooked on its own, but in our family, we always add carrots. I suppose that’s how most Sri Lankan Moors make it. No one in my family could really explain why-it’s just the way it’s always been done.
Like most Sri Lankan vegetable curries, this one is simple and straightforward. You add the vegetables, spices, and a bit of oil, then sauté briefly. After that, pour in the coconut milk and cook just until the beans are tender. In many households, though, there’s no sautéing involved-they simply toss everything into the pot and let it cook together.
This curry pairs beautifully with plain rice and any meat or fish curry.
Ingredients and Notes
*Scroll down for the recipe card with a full ingredient list and measurements.
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- Green beans – Buy them fresh. Look for unblemished beans that snap easily when bent. Avoid ones that are limp or have dark spots.
- Carrots – Cut into thin strips to match the beans. Adds sweetness and color.
- Oil – Coconut or vegetable oil both work well.
- Fenugreek seeds – Just a pinch.
- Onion – Sliced thin.
- Tomato – Adds acidity and body.
- Curry leaves – A must in Sri Lankan curries.
- Green chillies – Adjust to your spice preference.
- Spices – Raw curry powder, and turmeric chilli powder. Raw curry powder is unroasted curry powder used for veggie curries. It’s mild and fragrant. I have a recipe on the site and you should check it out.
- Coconut milk – It not only helps cook the vegetables but also creates a delicious gravy. I use canned coconut milk.
How to Make Sri Lankan Bean Curry
*Scroll down for the printable recipe card for a full list of ingredients and instructions.
- Prep the veggies: Peel and cut the carrots into thin strips. Rinse the green beans, snap off the ends, and break each bean in half.
- Combine ingredients: In a pot, add the green beans, carrots, sliced onions, fenugreek seeds, sliced green chillies, curry leaves, and chopped tomatoes. Toss in turmeric, curry powder, chilli powder, and salt.
- Sauté everything: Drizzle in some oil and sauté the mixture for about 5 minutes until the onions start to soften and everything is fragrant.
- Simmer: Pour in coconut milk and a bit of water. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, just until the green beans are tender but still bright green.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t cover the pot – this helps the green beans retain their vibrant green color.
- Don’t overcook – cook just until the beans are tender. Overcooked beans will lose their color and go mushy.
Serving Suggestions
This curry is usually served as a side dish with plain rice and a hearty meat or fish curry. It’s a great way to add veggies to your plate. Pair it with:
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Recipe
Sri Lankan Green Been Curry
Ingredients
- 250-300 g green beans
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 small onion sliced
- 2 green chillies sliced
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 rampe/pandan leaf
- 1 small tomato chopped
- ½ cup coconut milk canned
- ½ cup water
Spices
- 1 tsp raw curry powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Prep the veggies: Peel and cut the carrots into thin strips. Rinse the green beans, snap off the ends, and break each bean in half.
- Combine ingredients: In a pot, add the green beans, carrots, sliced onions, sliced green chillies, curry leaves, rampe,and chopped tomatoes. Toss in turmeric, curry powder, chilli powder, fenugreek seeds and salt.
- Sauté everything: Drizzle in the oil, stir and sauté the mixture for about 5 minutes until the onions start to soften and everything is fragrant.
- Simmer: Pour in coconut milk and water. Bring to boil on medium high and reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, just until the green beans are tender but still bright green.
Notes
- Raw curry powder is the unroasted curry powder generally used for vegetable curries. It has coriander, cumin, fennel, mustard seeds and cinnamon.
- Don’t cover the pot. This helps the green beans retain their vibrant green color. Or cover until the curry comes to boil, then remove it.
- Cook just until the beans or carrots are tender. Overcooked beans will lose their color.
Save This Recipe!
We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!