Kacang Panjang Kecap - Indonesian Green Beans in Sweet Soy

Name: Kacang Panjang Kecap - Indonesian Green Beans in Sweet Soy
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 3-4 serving(s)
Ingredients: 3 garlic cloves, chopped; 2 shallots, chopped; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 lb French style green bean, cut into 1-inch pieces; 3 -5 fresh Thai red chili peppers, halved lengthways & deseeded; 3 tablespoons ketjap manis (kecap manis, Indonesian sweet soy sauce); 1 fresh tomato, deseeded and cut into wedges; 1 tablespoon fried shallot; salt, to taste

Submitted by Um Safia

"This is a simple but delicious Indonesian recipe for French / green beans. It goes perfectly with Nasi Kuning (festive yellow rice). This recipe comes from 'Recipes from our Thai kitchen'. Time to make doesn't include resting time."

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photo by Cole R.

Ready In:: 40mins
Ingredients:: 9
Serves:: 3-4

ingredients

3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 lb French style green bean, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 -5 fresh Thai red chili peppers, halved lengthways & deseeded
3 tablespoons ketjap manis (kecap manis, Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
1 fresh tomato, deseeded and cut into wedges
1 tablespoon fried shallot
salt, to taste

directions

Put garlic, fresh shallots, and 2 tablespoons water into a mortar and pestle and smash into a smooth paste. Set aside.
Heat oil in a wok over medium-low heat. Add paste and cook, stirring, about 8 minutes. Add beans and chiles, stir to combine.
Add kecap manis and 1/4 cup water, stir to coat. Increase heat to medium high and stir-fry until beans are barely fork tender, 6-8 minutes.
Add tomatoes and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt to taste and transfer to a large bowl.
Let beans rest for about 10 minutes before serving, to allow flavors to intensify. Garnish with generous amount of fried shallots, and serve with festive yellow rice. Enjoy!

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Reviews

I thought this was delicious. I added a little fresh ginger to the paste in the beginning (only because I had it, not because I thought the recipe would need it). I'm not sure why realbirdlady didn't think the dish had enough flavor. I followed the other measurements/ingredients pretty closely as well as the times and thought it was yummy. I did add a lot of salt - not just a dash, perhaps about a half teaspoon - and I added it when I added the tomatoes (you'll see from the photo that I used cherry tomatoes). I would definitely make this again. It was the perfect accompanying dish to a chicken curry on our table, and a great way to liven up green beans. I think the stir frying is essential in order to reduce the kecap manis so that it coats the beans as they cook.

Cole R.
I thought this recipe brought a lot of flavor to the beans - I had to improvise on the ketjap manis since I could not find any at the local asian food store - I used regular soy added a tsp of tomato paste and 1/2 packet of splenda and it came out great - I used a few extra chilies (LOL we really like it hot) made for family picks thanks!!!

Ravenseyes
I made this just from the recipe, with no experience at all with indonesian food. It was not nearly as spicy as I expected. There's some strong flavors, but they are spread over a lot of beans, as well as the accompanying rice. We ended up using about half again as much ketjap manis just to be able to taste it at all. The beans cook more through steaming or boiling than stir frying. I would cut them a little smaller next time. Overall, it's not a real exciting recipe on it's own, but it's a simple approach to add a little variety to basic green beans.

realbirdlady

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Um Safia

ABOVE: My eldest, Talha with his 'Zaar Star! I'm 29 years old and have been cooking since I was old enough to wield a wooden spoon! My Mum is a fantastic cook and both my Grandmas were great cooks too. I've also had the pleasure of working in two commercial kitchens - one which I ran and the other I was second chef of. You can find me lurking in the NA*ME (North Africa / Middle East) Forum where I am a host: http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewforum.zsp?f=59 and also in the Cooking for Kids Forum where I am co-host: http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewforum.zsp?f=34 <style>body { background: url(http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww141/Um_Safia/seamless%20tiles/seamlesstile1.jpg);background-repeat: repeat; }</style> I am fortunate enough to have 2 children of my own now and enjoy cooking with my eldest who is almost 8 years old. My daughter is almost 3 & has now started joining me in the kitchen & 'helping'. She likes to stand on a chair next to me, give instructions & stir. We eat food from all over the world but my husband prefers it like 'mama used to make' or in his case ''like yemma makes it'' as he is Algerian! We are currently living in the UK after living in Algeria for a while. You will notice that I have posted quite a few Algerian classics. If I had the time and the money, I would spend all day every day trying new recipes! My husband has a 'recipe score' which is this: 1: "Add it to your recipe book - I loved it and wanna eat this again soon!" 2: "Interesting....I will enjoy eating this again." 3: "I cleared my plate but don't expect me to eat this again...ever." However, I rate 'Zaar recipes the by the 'Zaar standard, so don't worry. Oh and fyi, I have a problem being negative so will probably NEVER give a rating less that 4*!!! Other than cooking, I love anything arty-crafty and enjoy painting when I get the chance, which is rarely these days. 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