Butter beans (often called Lima beans) are full of protein and taste really great. They are available as dried beans which need to be soaked in cold water before cooking, or as tinned beans which are really convenient.
If you’re using dry beans, the best way is to soak them for 7-8 hours and then boil them in a pressure cooker as it is quicker. I have always been very fond of butter beans and love them best cooked as a curry with a slightly sweet and sour taste.
This recipe is very simple to make. In addition, it is:
vegetarian
easily convertible to vegan
gluten free
absolutely delicious!
Ingredients (serves 2):
2 cups or 1 can of butter beans If using dry Butter beans, you need to soak them overnight before boiling them until soft.
½ a can of chopped tomatoes (you can used fresh tomatoes too)
2 tablespoon cooking oil (I used sunflower oil)
1 teaspoon dry cumin
2 small pieces of cinnamon
3 small cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon chilly powder
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
optional – ½ cup of plain yogurt (or soya yoghurt alternative)
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoons jaggery or brown sugar (optional)
1 small bunch of coriander and some curry leaves.
2 fresh green chillies
Method:
1. Lightly warm the cumin in a wok or saucepan until you get the lovely cumin fragrance.
2. Add the 2 tablespoons cooking oil to this, add the cloves and cinammon and allow the cumin to cook until it looks dark.
3. Add the garlic, curry leaves and tomatoes to the mixture and stir.
4. Add all the spices, lemon and jaggery to the tomato mixture.( save the yogurt until the butter bean curry is cooked completely)
5. Cook all the ingredients until the tomatoes go soft and homogenous.
6. Add the boiled butter beans to the mixture and cook for a further 10 minutes on a medium heat.
7. Now add the yogurt and stir the curry for a couple of minutes until it’s all blended together.
8. Remove the butter beans curry to a serving dish and sprinkle it with some chopped onions, green chilies and coriander.
9. This curry should be served hot with rice or any of the Indian breads.
1canbutter beans (240g drained weight)You can substitute for 2 cups of dried butter beans, soaked overnight and boiled
½can chopped tomatoesyou can used fresh tomatoes too
2tbspcooking oile.g. sunflower oil
1tspcumin seeds
1tspsalt
1tspturmeric
1tspchilli powder
1tspcrushed garlic
½cupplain yogurtsoya yoghurt works as a vegan alternative
1 tbsplemon juice
1tbspjaggery or brown sugaroptional
1small bunch of coriander and some curry leaves.
2fresh green chillies
2cmpiece of cinnamon
3small cloves
Instructions
Warm a dry wok or saucepan over a medium heat and add the cumin seeds. Heat until you get lovely fragrance of cumin.
Add the 2 tablespoons cooking oil, followed by the cloves and cinammon and continue to heat until the cumin seeds start to darken.
Add the garlic, curry leaves and tomatoes to the mixture and stir.
Add the rest of the spices, lemon and jaggery to the tomato mixture.
Cook all the ingredients until the tomatoes go soft and homogenous.
Add the boiled butter beans to the mixture and cook for a further 10 minutes on a medium heat.
Now add the yogurt or soya alternative and stir the curry for a couple of minutes until it's all blended together.
Transfer the butter bean curry to a serving dish and optionally sprinkle it with some chopped onions, green chilies and coriander.
Notes
Serve this delicious curry hot with steamed rice or any of the Indian breads.
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I am a busy working mum who aims to make quick and healthy authentic vegetarian and vegan dishes for my family. I am also a face to face and online cookery teacher, recipe developer, restaurant and product reviewer. I share all recipes with step by step instructions.
