It's that runner bean time of year and I'm looking for suggestions on how to spice them up a bit.

Tried fryng onions & garlic, then adding ground cumin, corriander and chilli before putting in the beans with tomato puree & a little to water to simmer them in. It was pretty nondescript although much nicer the next day when the flavours had time to come together.

I've spotted Mamta's "Beans & Potato Bhaji (Dry Curry)" to try, and also adding to dal.

Any other suggestions please! One year I ended up feeding the runner beans to the cat - who actually loved them, and went into a major sulk when the season ended!

you could using them to substitute for drum sticks (nick name for Indian beans, taste like a cross between runner beans and asparagus). How about a runner bean sambal?

I think the potato and bean bhaji (or bhujia) could be spot on, but I don't think adding tomatoes a good idea. The beans have a rather subtle flavour, and may be swamped by tomato.

Boil off some new potatoes (20 minutes), then fry some onions (Indian if you can find them), garlic, ginger and green chillies. Fry for five minutes, then add coriander and cumin seed powder (sometimes dhania jeera podi), some red chilli powder and finally turmeric. Then add the beans, and cook until tender, adding a little water if they look too dry. Then add the potatoes, mix well, then add thick yoghurt (not the reduced fat kind, which will curdle), a tablespoon at a time. Add just enough yoghurt until the mix is fluid (moves easily around a non-stick pan), but not wet. Add fresh chopped coriander and mint. Finally, add salt to taste.

This makes an excellent filling for dosa, as in masala dosa.

Thanks Lapis - I'll certainly try your recipe - can see some light at the end of the beanstalk now!

Knew there must be some spicy uses for the beans as the Bengali women in my local market are buying them by the carrier bag full, but language prevents me interrogating them as to how they are using them, except they are for some Iftar dish.

Trivia fact I just found: Runner Beans were brought to England under King Charles I; not to eat but for their flowers to be used in bouquets!

Ok, this is not exactly spicy, but a classic German way of flavouring fresh beans of any kind is this: a pat of butter, some salt, pepper and a good pinch of summer savory, which is known as 'Bohnenkraut' in German, and that translated into English means: 'Herb of the beans'.

You can buy it here: https://www.germandeli.co.uk/sess/utn;jsessionid=154aa69958132c0/shopdata/product_search.shopscript?query=bohnenkraut&search_submit=Go but I'm sure there are other places too, it's a pity that this great herb is so forgotten in the UK and never on offer in the herb and spice section. It also grows nicely in a pot in your garden.

Another wonderful herb for beans is Lovage, you could buy Maggi (which uses Lovage heavily) or grow it as a perennial in in a big container in the garden and freeze your harvest. One leaf usually is good for at least 2 meals, it is very pungent and offers a very nice, broad base flavour (a bit like brown cardamaom, which also does this).

Which is why I find it surprising that there are no curry recipes that Lovage it!

You can make a pickle with green beans, I will have to write down the recipe if I get a chance, this evening.

Mamta