Gujerati-style Green Beans

These are nice with all sorts of meals, not just Indian cuisine. You can make the beans as hot or as mild as you like by adjusting the red chili. The recipe calls for fresh beans, but you can get acceptable results using frozen beans that have been thawed, just skip the blanching. Around here, you won't find black mustard seeds in the spice aisles of the ordinary grocery stores; you'll have to look for them in specialist south Asian shops.

Source: Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookery (1982).

450 g fresh green beans
4 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil (I actually use less than this)
1 tablespoons whole black mustard seeds
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 - 1 dried red chili, coarsely crushed (red pepper flakes will do)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Trim and cut the beans to 2.5 cm lengths. Blanch them in rapidly boiling water for 3-4 minutes, then drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium heat. When the oil is hot put in the mustard seeds. When they start to pop, put in the garlic, stirring them until they turn light brown (not too dark!). Put in the chili, and stir for a few seconds. 
3. Add the beans, salt and sugar. Reduce the heat to medium low, cooking for 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently. 
4. Add the black pepper, mix, and serve.