Red and White Bean Curry Recipe

Serves 4 to 6 people. Freezes well.

Ingredients for Red and White Bean Curry :

• 85 g red kidney beans
• 85 g haricot beans
• 55 g black eyed beans
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 tsp garlic puree (I use two garlic cloves squashed)
• 1 tsp ginger puree
• 2 tbsp curry paste
• 2 fresh green chillies (I omitted these and added chillie powder to taste)
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 125  to 150ml water (optional)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander plus extra for garnish (omitted the garnish)

Method for Red and White Bean Curry:

1. Soak beans in a large bowl for at least 4 hours or overnight.
2. Drain rinse beans and place in a heavy based saucepan, add enough cold water to cover and bring to the boil over high heat, boil vigorously for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for one and a half hours or until the beans are tender.
3. Heat the oil in a separate large saucepan, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and cook over low heat, stirring, for 2 minutes or until they give off their aroma.  Add the onion and cook stirring frequently for 5 minutes or until softened.  Add the garlic puree, ginger puree, curry paste and chillies and cook, stirring for two minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes and their can juices and the tomato puree.  If the sauce seems thick, add the water.  Break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.  Season with salt and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Drain the beans and add them to the sauce, then stir in the copped coriander.  Cover and simmer for a further 30 minutes or until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened.

I don’t follow the cooking times to the letter as things sometimes take a lot longer than the recipe says. You can use any beans you like or have in stock.  I also make this with extra vegetables.

I also buy jars of ginger purée from the local Indian store and then open it and put a spoonful each into a ice cube tray, then when I need some ginger purée I can get one out instead of keeping it in the fridge and maybe it going out of date.  I have done this with some Barts curry pastes, though they don’t all freeze well.