Vegetables Recipes - Yard-Long Beans with Mushrooms and Water Chestnut Recipe

Ingredients 

• 1 lb yard-long beans

• 3 tablespoons peanut oil

• 4 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced

• 1 small red chili, seeded and thinly sliced

• 1 inch piece of fresh gingerroot, finely minced

• 8 oz can of water chestnuts, drained

• 2 tablespoons lime juice

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Serves 4 with rice as a main course, or 6 as a side dish

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Method:

1. Blanch the beans for 2 minutes in a large saucepan of boiling salted water. Drain and dry thoroughly, Cut them in half if you wish.

2. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet until almost smoking. Add the mushrooms, chili, and ginger, and stir-fry over high heat for 2 minutes.

3. Add the beans and water chestnuts, and fry until heated through, continually lifting and turning the beans. Stir in the lime juice, soy sauce, salt, and cilantro, tossing the beans until well coated. Serve at once.

Note: Most recipes instruct you to chop these beans into short lengths, but if you've got yard-long beans why not show them off? Twirl them round your fork like spaghetti. You can use ordinary green beans instead, if you don't have long ones.