Cardamom and Tea

yellow curry powder + recipes

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This yellow curry powder recipe is primarily made up of turmeric, cumin, coriander, and fenugreek, with some warm and spicy background notes. This blend works well raw, but tempering in oil or roasting in a pan for 1 minute deepens its flavor. You can use this blend in a number of different dishes—check out the archives for a full list, but here are a few of my favorites:

Feel free to follow along with the recipe at the end of this post, or use this video if you’re more of a visual person:

History of curry powder

You’ll find yellow curry powder in a lot of Assyrian and Iraqi dishes. It’s become an important part of our cuisine in recent centuries, and it’s in everything from biryani to amba to masgouf. And it feels essential to the food that makes me think of home cooking. So many family recipes begin with a spoonful or two of Madras curry powder. But it’s important to note that the whole idea of curry actually has a history of colonialism and a connection to our shared experience with the Indian subcontinent (check out articles by Sucharita Kanjilal, Naben Ruthnum, and Little Global Chefs for more information and context). And while it’s not strictly an “authentic” Middle Eastern ingredient (nor an authentic Indian one), it’s certainly become a part of Iraqi and Assyrian cuisines.

What is authenticity anyway? Things are always changing. Some new things come from beautiful instances of cultural sharing. And some new things happen from violence and conquest. But in either case we’re left with whatever remains. When we take stock, maybe it’s just important that we remember and acknowledge our history and our circumstances, while working toward an equitable future.

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Yellow Curry Powder + recipes

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5 from 2 reviews

  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: about 3/4 cup

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons ground turmeric
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons ground coriander
  • 2 tablespoons ground fenugreek seeds
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons ground mustard
  • 2 teaspoons ground curry leaves (optional)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom *
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground chili

Instructions

  1. Prep any whole spices by grinding them and then measuring them. Use a very clean coffee grinder, spice grinder, or mortar and pestle.
  2. Combine all ingredients and store in a sealed glass container for 6 months to a year.

Notes

* If you’re using whole pods, use green cardamom, rather than black, and discard the shells before grinding the seeds. If you’re using ground spices, green cardamom is the same thing as a standard shaker of cardamom you’ll find in the supermarket.

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Green beans with tomato and olive oil

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These Middle Eastern green beans with tomato and olive oil—also known as loubieh bi zeit—are as simple to make as they are satisfying to eat. Don’t let the short ingredient list fool you: their flavor is anything but basic.

If you’re ready to cook, feel free to jump to the recipe 😋. Otherwise, stick around to learn why this humble dish deserves a spot in your rotation.

Steam-Frying, the key to great green beans

Steam-frying might sound fancy, but it’s delightfully easy. You start by giving your veggies a quick sauté in a bit of oil, then pop a lid on the pan so they steam and sizzle at the same time.

Steam frying coaxes out deep, bold flavors while keeping vegetables crisp-tender and vibrant. Think of it as the secret handshake between browning and steaming: flavorful, fast, with just enough technique to make it feel intentional—even if it’s something you pulled together on the fly.

What’s so delicious about it?

  • Steam-frying creates something entirely different from a typical pan-fry. You won’t get deep browning or a crispy edge. Instead, the green beans turn tender with a soft al dente bite and a whisper of caramelization—just enough to deepen the flavor without overpowering the dish.
  • It’s also wonderfully low-effort. No need to stand over the stove working in batches to get the perfect sear—because here, uniform crispiness isn’t the goal.
  • Since it’s a relatively low-heat frying application, you can use extra virgin olive oil without worrying about it scorching.

Helpful hints to get green beans with tomato just right:

  • Don’t skimp on the oil! Think about the amount of extra virgin olive oil you’d use if you were dressing a salad. It’s the key to a rich flavor and glorious texture (I mean, it’s in the name, loubieh bi zeit—the oil is essential).
  • If you’re after truly granny-style Middle Eastern green beans with tomato, feel free to steam them for a little (or a lot) longer than the recipe suggests. This recipe as-is will give them a perfect amount of bite if you’re looking for more al dente beans.
  • If you have quality in-season fresh tomatoes, feel free to use 1 3/4 cups fresh here instead of diced. Add them a little earlier in the process, when the green beans are almost done steaming (this gives them a chance to soften more). I love this recipe with canned tomatoes, but it’s wonderful either way.
  • Read the note below the recipe to learn how to use frozen green beans here.
  • If you’re looking for more of a green bean stew, try my flat bean stew instead.
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Green beans with tomato and olive oil

green beans with tomato
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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
  • 6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 2 pounds fresh green beans, stemmed and broken into 1 1/2 to 2 inch pieces *
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes

Instructions

  1. Heat a large, steep-sided sauté pan or medium dutch oven over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the olive oil, followed by the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until they soften a little and turn very light golden (not brown).
  2. Add the green beans and stir for about 1 minute over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes or so (re-cover every time you give it a stir).
  3. Add the black pepper and salt, and stir for about 30 seconds.
  4. Add the diced tomatoes, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the green beans are your preferred doneness.

Notes

* Feel free to substitute frozen, but be sure to taste them as you go after the first few minutes, because the cook time will most likely be shorter. You’ll also want to cook them uncovered for an extra 1 or 2 minutes.

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