French beans and potatoes

Your ready-to-cook kit contains the ingredients listed below as well as a simple and practical recipe sheet, so that this dish is the best you have ever tasted.

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  Turmeric or Curcuma longa is a flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. It is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that requires temperatures between 20 and 30 °C (68 and 86 °F) and high annual rainfall to thrive. Plants are gathered each year for their rhizomes, some for propagation in the following season and some for consumption or dyeing.

  Turmeric

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  As the name suggests, these chillies are a specific variety cultivated in the Kashmir region of India. Prized for their vibrant red color and mild heat, they are used to add a beautiful red hue to dishes without making them excessively spicy. They are essential for dishes like rogan josh, tandoori chicken, and various curries.

  Kashmiri red chili powder

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  Mustard is a plant native to the temperate regions of Europe and Asia. Black and brown mustard seeds are widely cultivated and used throughout India. Mustard seeds are typically fried in oil until they pop and release a pungent, nutty flavor. They are a crucial component of Tadka in South Indian and Bengali cooking, used for tempering dals, curries, and vegetable stir-fries.

  Mustard seeds

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  While thought to have originated in the Middle East, cumin has been cultivated in India for millennia and is a cornerstone of Indian cooking. Cumin is used both whole and ground. The whole seeds are often fried in hot oil at the beginning of a dish (Tadka) to impart a warm, earthy aroma. Ground cumin is a key ingredient in almost all curry powders and spice blends like garam masala.

  Cumin

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  Black pepper is native to the Malabar Coast of Southern India and was a major driver of ancient global trade. Known as the "King of Spices," black pepper adds a sharp, pungent heat to food. It is used both whole and ground in a vast range of Indian dishes, from simple curries to complex marinades.

  Black pepper

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  This pungent resin comes from a plant native to the mountains of Afghanistan and Iran, but its use is ubiquitous in Indian cuisine. It is used as a substitute for onion and garlic, particularly by vegetarian sects like Jains. It adds a savory, sulfurous aroma to dishes and is typically fried in oil at the start of cooking to mellow its strong flavor.

  Asafoetida

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  Garam masala, which translates to "hot spice mix" in Hindi, is a blend of ground spices that originated in North India. The name "hot" refers to the warming effect the spices are believed to have on the body according to Ayurvedic medicine, rather than the spiciness from chili peppers. The composition of garam masala varies greatly by region, and even from one household to another. Garam masala is a versatile spice blend used to enhance the flavor and aroma of a wide variety of Indian dishes. It's often used as a finishing spice, added toward the end of cooking to preserve its potent fragrance. It can also be used in marinades or as a dry rub for meats. Garam masala differs from other Indian spice blends like curry powder. Curry powder was a blend created for British colonizers to mimic Indian flavors, and it typically contains turmeric, which gives it a yellow color. Garam masala, on the other hand, does not usually contain turmeric and is a traditional part of Indian culinary heritage.

  Garam Masala

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  Curry leaves, also known as karuveppilai or kadi patta, come from the Murraya koenigii tree, a plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka. The name "curry" is believed to be derived from the Tamil word "kari," which can mean sauce or soup. Curry leaves are a staple, particularly in South Indian cooking. They are rarely eaten raw and are almost always added to hot oil or ghee at the beginning of cooking to release their essential oils and aroma. This process is called tadka or tempering.

  Curry leaves

The recipe requires the following ingredients that are not included in your kit, we recommend buying these ingredients locally.

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  Garlic's origins are traced back to Central Asia, where it was first cultivated. It spread from there to the Middle East and then to South Asia, becoming a staple in Indian diets since ancient times. Garlic is another essential aromatic in Indian cooking. It is most often used alongside ginger and onion to create the rich, sautéed base (bhuna) for a wide array of dishes. It provides a savory, sharp, and slightly spicy flavor that is a must-have for meat dishes, vegetable curries, and dals. It is also a key ingredient in many Indian pickles and chutneys.

  Garlic

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  Ginger is native to the rainforests of Maritime Southeast Asia and is one of the first spices to have been exported from Asia. It was introduced to India very early in its history and has been cultivated there for thousands of years, becoming an integral part of both its cuisine and traditional medicine, Ayurveda. Ginger is a foundational ingredient in Indian cooking. It is a key component of the aromatic paste known as ginger-garlic paste, which forms the flavor base for countless curries, dals, and marinades. It provides a pungent, spicy, and warm flavor. Fresh ginger is also grated or julienned and added to stir-fries, and is famously used to make a soothing and spicy chai (tea).

  Ginger

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  Oil is an essential base ingredient in Indian cooking. Different oils are used depending on the region: mustard oil in the north and east, coconut oil in the south, and peanut oil in the west. Oil serves as the base for tadka (tempering), a technique where spices are fried in hot oil to release their aromas before being added to dishes.

  Oil

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  Salt is an indispensable flavor enhancer in Indian cuisine. Besides regular table salt, India also uses kala namak (black salt), a volcanic salt with a distinctive sulfurous taste, used in chaat masala and refreshing drinks. Himalayan pink salt, mined from Pakistan, is also highly prized for its purity and minerals.

  Salt

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  Fresh coriander, also called cilantro, is the most widely used aromatic herb in Indian cuisine. Its green, fragrant leaves bring incomparable freshness to dishes. Used as a final garnish on curries, biryanis, and chaats, it is also the main ingredient in green chutney (pudina chutney) served with samosas and pakoras.

  Coriander leaves

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  Green beans are a commonly used vegetable in Indian cuisine, particularly in South Indian vegetable curries. Beans poriyal (beans sautéed with coconut) is a classic side dish from Tamil Nadu. Beans are also used in sambars and Kerala's aviyal.

  French beans

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  Potatoes, introduced to India by the Portuguese, have become an essential ingredient in Indian cuisine. They are the base of many dishes like aloo gobi, aloo paratha, samosa, and vada pav. Versatile, they perfectly absorb spices and bring a comforting texture to vegetarian curries.

  Potatoes

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  Lemon juice is an essential ingredient for adding acidity and freshness to Indian dishes. It is used in marinades to tenderize meat, in chutneys and pickles, and as a finishing touch on many dishes. Nimbu pani (Indian lemonade) is a popular refreshing drink throughout the country.

  Lemon juice