030 / 75 · Soups, beans and broths

Green Bean and Potato Coconut Stew

2 coconut stew portions, with 40 g/1½ oz soft pita per person · Active 15 min · Cook 21 min · Total 35 min

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Canned green beans are useful in a quick stew because their cooking is already complete. Let small potato cubes soften first, then fold in drained beans, coconut milk and tomato. The beans remain soft rather than crisp, which suits the creamy sauce. A little curry powder seasons the bowl without turning it into a claim about any one regional dish.

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Green bean and potato coconut stew with soft pita.

Use the specified cooked bean

Choose commercially canned green beans labeled ready to eat, drain them and weigh the portion. Raw fresh beans or thawed frozen beans are different ingredients with a different required cooking process. This recipe does not give a shortcut for preparing them. Cut very long canned beans into 3 cm/1¼ in lengths so they divide easily between two bowls.

Wait before adding the tomato

Potatoes soften in a small amount of stock before the tomato and coconut arrive. Turn the cubes through that liquid at each stop and check a large piece rather than judging only the surface. The later sauce stage is deliberately brief, because the beans need warming rather than another long cook.

Ingredients

  • 200 g (7 oz) peeled potato, cut into 1 cm/⅜ in cubes
  • 180 g (6⅓ oz) canned ready-to-eat green beans, drained and cut into about 3 cm/1¼ in lengths; no raw-bean substitution
  • 100 g (3½ oz) ripe tomato, chopped, juice retained
  • 50 g (1¾ oz) peeled onion, finely chopped
  • 5 g peeled fresh ginger (about 2 tsp finely grated)
  • 5 ml neutral oil (1 tsp)
  • 150 ml (about ⅔ US cup) ready-to-use lower-sodium vegetable stock, divided
  • 150 ml canned unsweetened coconut milk (½ cup plus 2 tbsp), stirred before measuring
  • 2 g mild curry powder (about 1 tsp)
  • 0.5 g fine salt, a small pinch, or omit if the stock is salty
  • 10 ml lemon juice (2 tsp), seeds removed
  • 80 g (2¾ oz) soft pita, divided into two 40 g portions

Set out

1000 W microwave with turntable, Kitchen scale and measuring jug, Knife and board, Spoon, Oven mitts, Two serving bowls, Microwave-safe bowl, at least 2.5 L/about 2⅔ US qt measured capacity, about 21 cm/8¼ in inside diameter and 10 cm/4 in deep, Microwave-safe vented cover, Can opener and sieve, Fork, Two side plates, Fine grater for ginger, Food thermometer for leftover reheating checks

Allergens

Wheat. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Put the onion, ginger, oil, curry powder and 20 ml/1 tbsp plus 1 tsp of the measured stock in the 2.5 L bowl. Cover with a vent and microwave at 1000 W full power for 3 minutes, stirring halfway, until the onion softens.
  2. Add the potato, remaining 130 ml stock and salt. Stir and cover with the vent open. Heat at full power for 8–12 minutes, stopping every 3 minutes to stir and turn the potato cubes through the liquid. Continue in 1-minute bursts if needed until the largest cubes crush easily against the bowl with the fork. Do not let the small amount of stock dry out; stop and stir sooner if it thickens around the edge.
  3. Fold in the drained ready-to-eat green beans, all the chopped tomato and juice, and the stirred coconut milk. Cover with a vent and heat at 70% power for 4–6 minutes, stirring halfway, until the sauce bubbles gently and all the beans are hot throughout. Avoid vigorous stirring that breaks the soft beans into a mash.
  4. Stand covered for 2 minutes. Stir in all the lemon juice. Divide every component equally between two bowls and serve each with its 40 g soft pita portion. The complete meal is ready without an oven or stovetop finish.

One finished can state

Drain the beans before weighing 180 g. Their packing liquid is not part of the measured stew sauce.

A gentle last stir

The beans are already soft. Turn them through the sauce with a spoon rather than repeatedly mashing them while checking heat.

Ingredient labels

Pita contains wheat/gluten and may contain sesame or milk. Curry powder can contain mustard or celery; stock and coconut milk also need label checks. The dairy variation adds milk.

A useful detail

The 35-minute plan allows 9 minutes of preparation, up to 21 minutes of sequential heating, the 2-minute stand and 3 minutes to portion and serve. These are starting ranges for a 1000 W oven. A firmer potato can need more short bursts before tomato is added; do not use the final bean stage to compensate for undercooked potato.

Another way

  • Use 180 g/6⅓ oz drained ready-to-eat canned carrots instead of green beans, cut into bite-size pieces. Add them at the same late stage and stir gently.
  • Use 150 ml/about ⅔ US cup pasteurized milk instead of coconut milk. Milk becomes an allergen and the sauce is lighter; keep the reduced-power final stage and avoid a fierce boil.

Keep it well

Refrigerate shallow stew portions within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F/32°C, at 40°F/4°C or below. Use within 3 days or an earlier opened-bean, coconut-milk or stock deadline. Keep pita separate. Reheat a portion under a vented cover in short bursts, stirring gently; stand 2 minutes and verify 165°F/74°C throughout. Do not store the assembled bowl at room temperature.