If you’re looking for a new healthy Instant Pot recipe, a vegan curry to add to your dinner rotations, or an easy Indian dish, whip up this 20-minute Indian green bean curry with potatoes! It’s filling, healthy, gluten-free, and the perfect vegetable dish.
I’ve had several requests throughout the months for easier traditional Indian dishes. And although I love cooking and developing recipes from a wide variety of cuisines, Indian dishes (specifically traditional Gujarati meals) remain second nature for me since I grew up with those flavors.
We enjoy different types of Indian food about 2-3 times a week, and this Easy Yard-Long Green Bean & Potato Curry recipe (also known as Fansi Bateta Shaak) is a family favorite!
Long Beans
Let’s talk about green beans for a second. There are many different varieties of green beans. Most of you are probably familiar with the string beans of snap beans variety that is about 4-7 inches long, rounded, and green.
But have you ever cooked or picked up some long beans?
Long beans are also known as Chinese long beans, asparagus bean, or yard-long beans due to their length. They are about 12-18 inches long, slender, and contain immature pods in the bean. You can typically find them at local Asian markets.
These yard long beans grow on climbing vines, are from a different family of a plant from the green beans, and differ in texture slightly in the following ways:
- Hold up better in cooking
- Stay more crisp and firm even after simmering or stir-fry
- Easier to prepare
Despite these differences, long beans are similar in flavor, look like green beans (aside from their length), and can be cooked and used in the same way.
For this green bean curry recipe, I specifically love using the yard long beans if I can make my way to my local Asian market, but if not, you can easily sub any other green bean variety.
Easy Indian Long Green Bean Curry with Potatoes
This easy green bean curry recipe is a traditional Gujarati Indian dish featuring 2 main ingredients, green beans, and potatoes, mixed in with a few dry spices. Heat some oil, throw in the green beans, potatoes, and spices, and make a 20-minute Instant Pot green beans recipe (stove-top directions included as well)!
So if you’re looking for a new healthy instant pot recipe, an easy vegan Indian curry to add to your dinner rotations, or an excuse to try yard long beans for the first time, whip up this dry Indian green bean curry with potatoes! It’s filling, healthy, gluten-free, and the perfect vegetable dish. Enjoy it with some cooked rice, pulao, naan, or fresh roti, and serve it with a side of lentil soup for a complete meal!
More Vegan Curry Recipes!
For some additional easy curry recipes, check these out:
- Black Eyed Peas Curry (Instant Pot option)
- 5-Ingredient Green Coconut Curry w/Corn
- Pav Bhaji Masala
- Chole (Chickpea Curry)
- Cauliflower Tikka Masala
- Easy Curried Okra
- Indian Spice Stuffed Eggplants & Potatoes
- Tomato Sev Curry
- Roasted Smoked Eggplant Curry
If you like this recipe or post, be sure to leave a comment and use the rating field! You can also tag me on Instagram with any re-makes, @vegetariangastronomy so I don’t miss it, as I love sharing them on Re-Make Fridays! Or you can help me spread the word about my recipes on Pinterest and Facebook!
Easy Indian Green Bean Curry with Potatoes (Instant Pot option)
INGREDIENTS
- 3.5 cups long green beans , chopped (see notes below)
- 2 small potatoes
- 2 teasp cooking oil
- 1/2 teasp mustard seeds
- 1/4 teasp asafoetida , optional
- 3 cloves garlic , optional
- 1/2 teasp ground turmeric
- 1/4 teasp cayenne powder , or red chili powder (optional)
- 2.5 teasp ground coriander , see notes
- 1/2 teasp ground cumin
- 1/4 cup water , divided
- salt , to taste
- fresh lemon juice , to taste
- fresh cilantro , finely chopped for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Trim and discard both ends of the green beans.
- Working with as many green beans as you can at once, chop them into small pieces (1/4-in long or smaller).
- Peel and dice the potatoes into ~3/4-in cubes (you can leave the skin on if you prefer).
- Select the Saute button (normal) on the Instant Pot or heat a non-stick pan on medium heat.
- Add and heat the cooking oil, then add the mustard seeds, asafoetida, and minced garlic (if using). Fry for a few seconds.
- Add the chopped green beans, diced potatoes, ground turmeric, red chili powder (if using), and 1/4 teasp salt (add more later). Mix well.
- For Instant Pot Method: Add all the water, mix well, and close the Instant Pot lid. Select the Pressure Cook button to cook on high pressure. Set the timer for 2 minutes. When the time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally for only 5 minutes, and then manually release the rest of the pressure. Open the lid and set to Saute mode again (normal).
- For Stove-top Method: Add half the water, cover the pan with a lid, and cook on medium-low heat until the potatoes and green beans are cooked and tender (about 10-15 minutes, potatoes should remain intact). Stir occasionally. During this time, if the water dries out, be sure to add 1 tbsp at a time as needed to cook and keep the green beans and potatoes from sticking to the pan.
- Once the green beans and potatoes are cooked and tender, add the ground cumin and ground coriander.
- Mix well and cook uncovered on medium heat for an additional 2-3 minutes. Stir occasionally and burn off most of the excess liquid remaining.
- Add salt to taste and a small amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Mix and garnish with finely chopped fresh cilantro.
- Serve hot with rice, Naan, or roti.
NOTES
- Omit if you do not have this spice.
- Although this powder is naturally gluten-free, it is almost always manufactured by diluting it significantly with wheat flour. There are some brands you can find that make it with rice flour. If you are uncertain and have a strict gluten-free diet, then omit this ingredient.
NUTRITION
Reshana
This looks sooo yummy! We definitely eat long beans here 🙂
My mom also usually makes them with potatoes in
anjali
I imagined you guys must! I’d love to try your moms version!
Dawna
even my picky eater ate it. we substituted some yellow zucchini for about half of the asparagus beans because it’s what I had, and kept adding lemon and lime and salt til it tasted right. we didn’t have any Asafoetida but Google suggested substituting 2x as much garlic or onion powder or chives. so I did that and used Mustard powder instead of Mustard seed. my picky eater doesn’t like spicy so I cut the cayenne in half, but also added a half a serano pepper to a double batch. perfect.
Anjali Lalani
So glad you enjoyed the dish! Your subs sound great. Thanks for the review!
Marly
I love trying out new foods, like long greens. I’ve never had them before, but looking forward to trying this recipe!
anjali
Thanks Marly!
Tania | Fit Foodie Nutter
Curry is one of mine and my family’s favourite meals, so I’ll be sure to bookmark this delicious version of yours! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
anjali
thank you!! hope you get a chance to try it!
Jenn
I’m not sure I’ve ever had long beans, but this looks so yummy!
Sarah
Yum! I can’t wait to try this. I love green beans so much!
Brittany Roche
Curry is the BEST! And we so need to get an Instant Pot. But thanks for both instructions, so we don’t have to wait to give this one a go! Can’t wait to try it!
Kay
A suggestion:
This recipe would be so much easier to print and follow, if it had 2 separate sections for Instant pot and Stove top cooking.
anjali
Awesome! Great to know…I was guessing the best way to separate it and not make it a huge recipe. I’ll change it!
Dennis
I may be missing something but I only noticed 1/4 cup of water. That doesn’t sound like enough for the Instant Pot. I have only had my pot 3 weeks but I have read you need at least 1 cup of water to come to pressure.
anjali
Hi! You should only need about 1/4 cup water for this recipe otherwise it’ll be too liquidy when done. It’s enough to come to pressure, plus water is released from the green beans when they get cooked inside as well. You don’t need it to stay at pressure for very long. Let me know if you try it!
Nina Jason
Super site! I am Loving it!! Will return once more, Im taking your food likewise, Thanks.
Anjana Ganjiguntae
A quick, instant and great recipe to make in minutes. Thank you for this! The coriander, powder, cumin powder and fresh cilantro that you add on the end is a great touch.
anjali
So glad you loved it!!! Yes…addicing a few spices in the end and just cooking a little makes a huge difference vs. adding it while pressure cooking. Try my black eyed peas curry in the IP next!
Kaity Varner
I made this as written, using the instant pot option. It was awesome. Thanks for the great recipe
anjali
So glad you enjoyed it! Try my back eyed peas in the IP next!
Adeana Estoll
It was good, but not as flavorful as I thought it would be. I also had to add salt. I love the idea of sharing easier traditional Indian dishes. Thanks, I will search the blog for more.
anjali
This is a traditional Gujrati dish, so most of the flavor comes from super simple and basic indian spices such as turmeric, cumin, and salt. Which is what I was going for. I always say in the recipe to taste and adjust with salt if needed because it’s something you can add at the end. Everyone has different salt preferences, so better to add then to make too salty. Hope you try out a few other dishes! The black eyed peas curry is great, as well as all my other Indian recipes!
Kamal Hasa
Hi Anjali,
Thanks for this bean recipe. I am trying it now with little variance.
What to do if the beans are bitter. I have added tamarind water to break the bitterness. Is that cool?
anjali
The pressure cooker should get rid of some of the bitterness, but I know if some veggies have an inherent bitterness, it’s difficult to remove it completely. Yes you can definitely add tamarind water…did that work?
Amy
Delicious! I used some of the many green beans from out garden. Thanks for for posting
anjali
Yay! Green beans from the garden must have been amazing! Thank you…try my black eyed peas curry!
Autumn
My son has just became a vegetarian so I’m trying new recipes. This has been my favorite of all of them. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes
anjali
That’s so awesome to here! Let me know if you need any other recipe recs and thank you for the comment I love hearing which recipes my followers are making!
CHANDRAGIRI nagendra prasad
Very good quality information and I am very happy with your recipes.
anjali
Thank you!
Kathy
This recipe is so yummy- thank you
Restaurant quality
Sooo good!
Anjali Lalani
Thank you so much for the great review! Glad you enjoyed it.