RecipesSouth African 
Curried Green Beans (Kerrieboontjies)
A traditional Afrikaner side dish — green beans in a sweet-tangy curry sauce.
Ingredients
- 500g green beans, trimmed and cut
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ cup vinegar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp oil
- Salt & pepper
Method
- 1
Blanch green beans in boiling water for 3–4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- 2
Sauté onion and garlic in oil. Add curry powder and turmeric.
- 3
Add vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer until thick and syrupy.
- 4
Add green beans and toss to coat in sauce.
- 5
Serve warm or chilled; flavours develop overnight.
Swaps & variations
- Add mustard seeds
- Add chilli for heat
- Add potatoes for a thicker stew
- Make a sweet-and-sour version with apricot jam
Storing & freezing
Keeps 5 days refrigerated. Freezes well for up to 2 months.
Grow it yourself
- Green Beans: Sow in warm soil (late spring–summer); provide support for climbing types; beans fix nitrogen; avoid overwatering
- Onions: Plant early spring or autumn; full sun
- Garlic: Plant in winter and mulch well; good drainage required
- Mustard Seeds: Mustard greens grow quickly in cool weather; allow plants to flower and set seed
- Marigolds repel nematodes in bean beds
- Spray garlic-chilli water for beetles
- Encourage ladybirds to control aphids
- Rotate beans to prevent soil-borne diseases
- Green Beans: Harvest when pods are slender and seeds barely visible; regular picking encourages more beans
- Onions & Garlic: Harvest when tops fall over and dry
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