Earlier this week, I went to see Rick Stein give a cookery demonstration organised by Toppings,  the bookshop in Bath to promote his new book, From Venice to Istanbul. He mentioned how vegetables are not served hot in Greece or Turkey and the importance of yoghurt in the cooking of the Eastern Mediterrranean countries – two points relevant to this recipe. 

250g French beans, topped

Sunflower or rapeseed oil

½-1 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp cumin seeds

1-2 cloves garlic, crushed

Small handful mint leaves, chopped

Plain yoghurt (ewes’ or goats’ would be perfect)

Lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a little oil in a wok. Add the beans, chilli flakes  and cumin seeds. Turn the beans often. After a minute add a splash of water to the beans and cook for a minute or two more until they are soft but still retain some bite. . Put into a serving dish.

Mix a few tablespoons of yoghurt with a little lemon juice, garlic,salt, pepper, and half of the mint leaves. Pour over the beans and top with the saved mint leaves.