Fine Beans and Potato Curry
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 45 minutes. Cooking time: 45 minute
Suitable for: Vegetarians, vegans and those on a gluten free diet
Serve piping hot with traditional wheat flour roti or paranthas, a dal dish; rice and yoghurt (plant based if vegan)
Ingredients:
Tarka:
40ml vegetable oil
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 small onions, finely sliced
50g tinned tomatoes or medium sized fresh tomato, skinned and chopped
2 - 3 chillies (green finger), chopped finely
2 level teaspoons salt
½ - ¾ teaspoon haldi (turmeric) - add the higher amount if using fresh tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon of garam masala
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Curry:
400g of fine beans, topped/tailed, chopped finely, rinsed and drained
500g small waxy potatoes, diced, rinsed and drained
Method:
Heat the oil (butter or ghee) on medium heat until fairly hot (be careful with butter/ghee as these have lower smoking points). Add the cumin seeds and cloves and stir until they splutter (virtually immediately)
Turn the heat down to low/medium, add the onions and fry gently stirring occasionally until they soften.
Add the tomatoes, salt, turmeric, chillies, garlic, ginger stir. Continue to cook gently, ‘mashing’ the tomatoes until a paste like consistency forms. I use a potato masher.
Add the garam masala, stir and cook for a further minute or so or until oil oozes out of the paste when a wooden spoon is dragged along the base of the pan
Add the beans, stir to combine with the tarka. Place the lid on the pan and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add the potatoes, stir to combine. With the lid on the pan, continue to cook gently for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally until the potatoes and beans have cooked through and splutters of oil can be seen on the base of the pan when the wooden spoon is dragged through the contents. The beans and potatoes will also ‘glisten’ to indicate the dish is cooked.
Serve hot.