As you can see from my posts about Basic Grilled Beans and Grilled Beans with Charred Tomato Sauce, I’m on a bit of a bean grilling kick. I’ve found that tender crisp grilled green beans make a great side, but they are even better as finger food, especially if you serve them up with an irresistible dipping sauce. Cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika add a kick to the beans in this recipe and the raita—an Indian inspired dip with cilantro and cucumber—cools things down…but not too much. When serving these beans, leave your utensils in the drawer and put out a big pile of napkins. And consider doubling the recipe. This finger food goes fast.

Spicy Grilled Green Beans with Raita

The raita dip is a great way to use up extra cucumbers and it is super versatile. Serve it with a big plate of grilled veggies (I’m a huge fan of grilled carrots and spears of zucchini) or spread it on pita sandwiches. Look for smoked, hot paprika in the spice section at your supermarket. It adds a smoky punch to the beans and is a delicious addition to the spice cabinet (and it tastes great on eggs!). If you can’t find it, substitute cayenne pepper.

You’ll need:

For the raita:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
¾ cup cucumber, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
1 tablespoon chives, minced
salt and pepper

For the beans:
1 pound of green beans (two or three great big fistfuls)
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon smoked, hot paprika (I use El Rey de la Vera Picante. It comes in a bright red tin.)
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

Instructions:
1. Snap off the tips and stems of each bean and pile them into a colander. Wash them, shake off any excess water, and dump them into a large bowl. Mix the cumin, coriander, and paprika together in a small bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the beans and toss until the beans are evenly coated with oil. Sprinkle the spices over the beans, add salt and pepper to taste, and toss again.

2. To prepare the raita, combine the yogurt, cucumber, cilantro and chives together in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Meanwhile, grill the beans over low flame (or on the edge of coals, if using a charcoal grill). Be sure to lay the beans crosswise across the grills grate to prevent them from falling through. Or, you can completely prevent losing beans through the grate, by loading them into a vegetable grilling basket. Place the lid over the grill and let the beans cook. Turn the beans every few minutes to make sure they cook evenly and don’t burn. Remove from the grill when they are tender crisp (about 8 to 10 minutes).

4. Serve the beans pile high on a platter next to a bowl of the raita for dipping.