
Gujarati Choli Nu Shaak
A dry Gujarati-style shaak of green beans and potatoes coated in a carom-seed and chilli tempering. It tastes savoury and lightly spicy, with a warm aroma from the spices and a little sweetness from the sugar.
Tempering spices
8 gStirred into the hot oil at the start (step 2)Everything else
Method
- Warm 40.5 g vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the tempering spices (2 g carom seed, 3 g ground turmeric, 1.3 g kashmiri chilli powder and 1.7 g coarsely crushed coriander seeds) and stir for a few seconds, until the carom seeds sizzle.
- Add 250 g potato and turn it through the spiced oil for 1 minute.
- Pour in 149 g water, cover and cook for 4–5 minutes, until the potato is partly tender.
- Add 400 g green bean and 4.2 g granulated sugar, then add salt to taste; cover and cook over low heat for 6–7 minutes, until the beans are tender, stirring once halfway.
- Scatter over coriander leaf, to taste, before taking the pan off the heat.
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Vegetable oil

Peanut oilUse 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.
GheeUse 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.
Mustard oilUse 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Carom seed

Carom seedsUse the same weight; this is the same seed under its other name.
Carom seed pasteUse the same weight; looser and stronger, so add near the end and taste.
Cumin seedUse half the weight, lightly crushed; gives a warm aroma but not carom's thyme-like punch.

Ground turmeric

Ground gingerUse 50% of the weight. Mimics turmeric's warm, earthy, rhizome background, but provides none of the golden-yellow colour.
SaffronSteep a tiny pinch (0.1 g per 2 g turmeric) in 2 tbsp warm water; use to match the rich golden hue. Contributes an aristocratic, honeyed floral flavour rather than earthy bitterness.

Kashmiri chilli powder

Dried kashmiri chilliGrind deseeded dried pods to an equal weight of powder; gives identical vivid red colour and gentle warmth.
Red chilli powderUse 25% of the weight mixed with sweet paprika for colour; straight red chilli powder is substantially hotter and will make the dish fiery.
Chilli powderUse one-third of the weight; the sauce will be less intensely red and notably sharper in heat.

Coriander seeds

Ground corianderUse 75% of the weight; stir in along with wet masala or tomato purée rather than frying in hot oil, as the fine powder burns instantly.
Cumin seedUse 50% of the weight for tempering in hot oil. Lacks the floral, sweet citrus flavour of coriander, introducing warm, pungent earthiness instead.
Fennel seedUse 50% of the weight in tempering; provides pleasant aromatic sweetness, though noticeably aniseedy rather than citrusy.

Potato

EggplantUse equal weight. Cut into large chunks; cooks down much faster (10-12 minutes) and softens into the sauce rather than staying starchy and firm.
PaneerUse 80% of the weight. Cube and add in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking; adds rich dairy protein instead of starchy bulk.
Dried chickpeaUse 45% dry weight. Soak overnight and boil until fully soft before stirring into the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes.

Water

StockUse the same weight in savoury dishes; it adds body, so adjust salt.
MilkUse the same weight only in doughs or creamy dishes; it makes the result richer.
Coconut waterUse the same weight in curries or rice; it adds sweetness and a faint coconut taste.

Green bean
French beanUse the same weight, top and tail; same result.
French green beanUse the same weight; same result.
Cluster beanUse the same weight, cut into lengths; firmer and earthier, cook slightly longer.

Granulated sugar

JaggeryUse equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.
Similar dishes

- Same: Sarasondane wali Phali aur Alu shares green beans, potatoes, vegetable oil and ground turmeric with this dish.
- Different: Sarasondane wali Phali aur Alu uses new potatoes, a large amount of tomato, black mustard seed, ground cumin and dried red chilli flakes, and it lacks this dish's carom seed, coriander seed and sugar, making it a wet curry rather than a dry shaak.

- Same: Shengdana Beanschi Bhaji shares green beans, vegetable oil, Kashmiri chilli powder and coriander seeds with this dish.
- Different: Unlike this dish, Shengdana Beanschi Bhaji adds peanuts, sesame seeds, garlic and lemon and omits potato, carom seed, turmeric, sugar and water, and it is chargrilled rather than tempered.

- Same: Lucknowi Khatte Aloo shares vegetable oil, turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder, sugar, salt, water, coriander leaf and potato with this dish.
- Different: Lucknowi Khatte Aloo uses cumin seed, asafoetida, fresh ginger, green bird’s eye chilli and anardana powder, and it has no green beans, carom seeds or coriander seeds; this dish uses carom seeds, coriander seeds, green beans and more potato.

- Same: Aloo ke Gutake shares potatoes, turmeric, salt and a dry oil-tempered cooking style with this dish.
- Different: It uses mustard oil, cumin seed and dried red chilli, while this dish uses vegetable oil, carom seed and Kashmiri chilli powder; it lacks green beans, sugar and added water.



























