Slow-Simmered Red Kidney Bean Curry with Ginger and Toasted Spices

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A North Indian roadside-diner classic: red kidney beans simmered down in a deeply browned onion-tomato masala until the sauce turns thick, glossy and almost gravy-like. Mashing a scoop of the beans into the pot is the trick that makes it creamy without a drop of dairy. Serve over rice with raw onion and lime.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp neutral oil (sunflower or avocado)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 6 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced
• 1 green serrano chile, slit lengthwise
• 1 1/2 cups crushed canned tomatoes (about one 14.5-oz can)

• 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder (or 1/2 tsp paprika + 1/4 tsp cayenne)
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp amchur (dried mango powder), optional but traditional

• 2 15-oz cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced, for serving
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 4 cups cooked basmati rice, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a heavy Dutch oven or deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaf and cinnamon stick and let them sizzle for 30–45 seconds, until the cumin darkens a shade and smells toasty.
2. Add the chopped onions and a pinch of salt. Cook 12–15 minutes over medium heat, stirring every couple of minutes, until the onions collapse and turn a deep golden brown at the edges. This browning is the backbone of the dish — don't rush it. If they stick, splash in 1 tablespoon of water and scrape.
3. Stir in the ginger, garlic and slit serrano. Cook 2 minutes, until the raw garlic smell is gone.
4. Add the ground coriander, ground cumin, chili powder and turmeric. Stir constantly for 30 seconds, then immediately add the crushed tomatoes and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to stop the spices from scorching.
5. Cook the tomato masala over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens into a dark paste and you see oil pooling at the edges of the pan. That separation means the base is ready.
6. Add the drained kidney beans and 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a bare simmer, partially cover, and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Uncover. With the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher, crush about a quarter of the beans against the side of the pot and stir them in. Simmer uncovered another 5–8 minutes, until the gravy is thick enough to coat a spoon and no longer watery.
8. Turn off the heat. Stir in the garam masala and amchur, fish out the bay leaf and cinnamon stick, and taste for salt — it usually wants another 1/4 teaspoon. Let it sit 5 minutes off heat to settle.
9. Stir in half the cilantro. Spoon over hot basmati rice and top with the remaining cilantro, sliced red onion and a hard squeeze of lime.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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