Stir-Fried Green Beans with Pork and Chillies

This dish is called Moo Pad Prik Sai Tua Fak Yao in Thailand.

500 g (1-1/4 lb) green beans
12-16 garlic cloves
6-9 fresh hot green or red chillies
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
275 g (10 oz) lean pork, minced
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce or salt

Wash and trim the beans. Cut them crossways into 5-7 mm (1/4-1/3 inch) rounds. Peel the garlic and chop it finely. Cut the chillies crossways into very thin slices.

Put the oil in a wok and set it over a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the garlic and green chillies. Stir and fry until the garlic turns golden, then add the pork. Stir and fry, breaking up any lumps, until the pork has lost its raw look. Put in the beans, paprika, sugar, fish sauce or salt and 300 ml (10 fl oz) water. Stir and cook on a medium-high heat for about 8-10 minutes or until the beans are tender and most of the water has been absorbed.