Spicy Lima Bean Curry

Finally I got time to do some real cooking. I had been tied up in some writing last week. So we were making do with quick dinners. But by friday morning I was really beginning to miss the kitchen. The frigid temperatures and the heavy snow we have been experiencing for the last few weeks also made the warmth of the kitchen really inviting:) And so I set out to prepare some of my favourite recipes - spicy, fragrant, and deliciously warming.

Lima Beans are a tasty legume with a wonderfully nutty and sweet flavour. And a spicy tomato based curry can really bring this bean to life!! I have tried making this bean in multiple ways to suit the desi palette, and thus far I have found only 2 versions that actually work. Hope I'll get the chance to blog about the other way in which I prepare this bean sometime soon.

Ingredients
21/2 cups lima beans
1 cup chopped onions
2 tomatoes, minced
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tsp ginger, peeled and grated
1 tbsp garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp chilli powder
Pinch sugar
Salt, to taste
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp ghee

Method:

1. Pressure cook the lima beans with a pinch of turmeric and salt.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the garlic and onions. Fry until the onions are translucent. Now reduce the heat and add the ginger.
3. When the ginger softens, add the tomatoes. Cover and cook until the tomatoes are soft. Now add all the masalas, salt and sugar. Mix well and fry for around five minutes.
4. Add the beans with the water they were cooked in and add another cup of water to the mix.
5. Allow the dal to come to a boil. Then simmer on a lower heat from 10-15minutes. Add ghee and coconut milk.

This recipe will give you a curry in a more liquid form and is meant to be served hot with rice, preferably Basmati rice. However, this curry does taste delicious with flat bread too. So, if you want to serve it with parathas or mop it up chapattis, don't add the extra water in step four. Also cook it longer to allow more of the liquid dry up so that you get a more semi-dry curry.

This delicious dal goes out to Suganya @ Tasty Palettes who is hosting the Sixth Helping of My Legume Love Affair - Hot & Spicy. This is a wonderful food event that focuses on, well, need I say it, legumes and their nutritive value in our diets. It was created by Susan of Well Seasoned Cook.

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