Sambal Goreng Green Beans with Coconut Milk
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Sambal goreng green beans (Sambal goreng buncis or Sambal goreng boontjes) is an Indonesian vegetable dish made with green beans cooked in a mildly spicy coconut milk sauce. The sauce combines Indonesian chili paste, garlic, shallots, sweet soy sauce and aromatic spices for a balance of heat and sweetness.
Serve these green beans warm as a side dish with steamed white rice, nasi goreng or Indonesian noodles. They also work well alongside dishes such as chicken satay, beef rendang or fried tempeh.
Like many Indonesian home-cooked dishes, sambal goreng buncis has many variations. Some versions use coconut milk, while others have a thinner sauce or include additional ingredients such as tempeh, tofu or shrimp. This recipe is my simple version, with green beans cooked in a mildly spicy coconut milk sauce.
If you’re new to Indonesian cooking, take a look at my guide to Indonesian ingredients to learn more about the spices, sauces and pantry staples used in this recipe.
How to Make Sambal Goreng Green Beans
Start by briefly boiling the green beans until they are partly cooked. Meanwhile, fry the onion, garlic, chili paste, laos (galangal) and tomato paste before adding the sweet soy sauce and coconut milk to make the sauce. Add the green beans and simmer until they are tender but still have a little bite.
Sambal is an Indonesian chilli paste made with ground red chillies. It adds heat to the sauce, and you can adjust the amount to suit your preferred level of heat. If you can’t find it in store, you can make your own.
Indonesian sweet soy sauce is called kecap manis. It adds sweetness and depth to the sauce.
Fresh red chilli adds extra spice, while palm sugar can be used instead of brown sugar for a slightly more authentic sweetness. If you prefer a thicker sauce, let it simmer for a little longer before adding the beans.
Continue below for the full recipe with ingredients and step-by-step instructions.
Sambal Goreng Green Beans Recipe
These Indonesian sambal goreng green beans are cooked in a mildly spicy coconut milk sauce with sambal oelek, garlic and ketjap manis. An easy vegetable side dish with plenty of Indonesian flavour.
Ingredients
- 9 oz fresh green beans (about 2 cupstrimmed and cut)
- 1 small onionfinely chopped
- 1 garlic cloveminced
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp chili pastesambal oelek
- 1/2 tsp ground galangallaos
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tsp sweet soy saucekecap manis
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar or palm sugar
- Pinch salt
- Fresh red chillioptional
Instructions
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Trim the ends of the green beans. Cut larger beans in half. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the beans for 5 minutes. Drain well.
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Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
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Add the sambal chili paste, galangal and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the sweet soy sauce.
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Pour in the coconut milk and add the brown sugar. Stir and simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken.
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Add the drained green beans and stir to coat. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender but still have some bite.
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Season with salt. Add more chili paste if desired and garnish with fresh red chilli.
Notes
Allow the green beans to cool, then transfer them to an airtight container. Keep refrigerated for 3-4 days.
Reheat gently in a saucepan over low to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a small splash of water if the sauce has thickened.
