I call these ‘Sarah’s green beans with sesame’ because when I make them, I want to keep them ALL for myself. This is my favourite way to eat green beans and I’m sure it will be yours too. Try it out!

Dishes mixed with this sesame paste are called ‘goma-ae’  in Japan, which literally means mixed with sesame seeds. It also goes really well with spinach. If you feel like sharing these wonderful beans, they make a perfect little starter for guests and can be made up to a day in advance.

INGREDIENTS
1 pack of trimmed green beans

SAUCE
Goma-ae –
3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 ½ tbsp sugar
1-2 tsp warm water

METHOD

1. Cut beans in half.
2. Boil beans for a couple of mins. Make sure you don’t overdo them – they should still be a bit crunchy.
3. Rinse under cold water and drain – this prevents them from losing their colour and going mushy.
4. Grind toasted black sesame seeds in a pestle and mortar until they release a beautiful nutty aroma. If you don’t have a pestle and mortar cut them up with a sharp knife, bash ’em with a rolling pin, smush’em with a spoon – use your imagination!
5. Mix sesame, soy, sugar in bowl. Add a tsp or two of water to loosen the sauce. It will be more of a seedy paste than a pourable sauce.
6. Once done, mix beans in sauce and serve as side dish.