Tumis Buncis Telur (Stir-Fried French Beans with scrambled Egg)
Buncis Telor Orak-Arik is a simple Indonesian home-style dish made with stir-fried green beans and scrambled eggs. It’s quick, comforting, and perfect for everyday meals. The beans are lightly sautéed with garlic and shallots—or sometimes a fragrant spice paste—then folded into softly scrambled eggs. A touch of seasoning brings everything together into a dish that’s wholesome, flavourful, and incredibly satisfying. Best enjoyed warm with steamed rice, and even better with a side of chicken.
Eons ago, growing up, I somehow detested French beans. They were usually overcooked in a tomato-based Sindhi gravy, and I never quite took to them. That changed when a cousin from Jakarta came to stay and introduced us to a completely different way of cooking them—simply stir-fried with garlic and sliced onions. That was all it took. I fell in love with their lightly cooked, crunchy texture.
Since then, I’ve made beans in many ways—poriyal style, Sindhi guvarfali style, or just a simple buncis tumis with garlic and shallots. This version, with eggs and a lightly spiced paste, is one of my favourites.
Enjoy this dish hot, straight from the pan.
Ingredients
1. Main:
200 g green beans ( cut and parboiled)
3 eggs
½ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp MSG (optional)
2. Spice Paste:
4 curly red chilies
2 bird’s eye chilies
10 shallots
5 cloves garlic
3 candle nuts (lightly pan-roasted)
1 tbsp oyster sauce
Method
Blend all spice paste ingredients into a smooth paste, using very little water.
Heat oil in a pan and sauté the paste until cooked and fragrant.
Pour in the eggs and scramble gently into the spices.
Add the green beans and mix well.
Season with salt, sugar, and MSG (if using).
Cook for 2–3 minutes until everything is well combined.
Turn off the heat and serve hot.
Just cut onions, garlic and chillies.