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Trini fried bodi

Bodi: long beans fried with garlic, onion and pepper

Bodi, the yard-long bean grown in back gardens all over south Trinidad, is cut into short lengths and fried down with onion, lots of garlic and a little hot pepper until it is tender and blistered in places. It turns up stuffed into sada roti for breakfast or beside rice and dhal for lunch. People often crowd the pan, so the beans steam grey instead of frying bright green with brown edges; use a wide pan. Green beans work if you cannot find bodi. Chef's tip: a pinch of roasted ground geera stirred in at the very end gives the beans a warm, nutty finish.
Total time
22 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
4
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Ingredients

Serves4

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What you'll need

Fresh ingredients (3)

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Method

0/4 done
  1. Step 1: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide frying pan or karahi over a medium-high heat. Fry 1 onion for 3 minutes until it starts to colour at the edges.

    3 min
  2. Step 2: Add 5 cloves garlic and ¼ scotch bonnet pepper and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.

  3. Step 3: Add 16 oz bodi (long beans) and ¾ tsp salt and toss well. Fry, stirring often, for 6–8 minutes until the beans are tender with a slight bite and blistered brown in spots. Add 1 tomato in the last 2 minutes if using.

    8 min
  4. Step 4: Sprinkle over ½ tsp roasted ground cumin (geera), toss and serve hot or warm.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
110 kcal
Protein
3 g
Carbs
10 g
Fat
7 g
Fibre
4 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does trini fried bodi take?
About 22 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegan?
Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
Is it gluten free?
Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
What can I use instead of onion?
2 shallots per onion.
What can I use instead of garlic?
½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.

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