Rajmah Mutter (Kidney Bean and Green Pea Curry)

Here's another curry that I made while in NZ. I have to admit, it's been long enough that I don't really remember how it came out. But I assume it was good. (Since Iyer's recipes usually are.) But not remarkable. (Since I don't remember it.)

Rajmah Mutter

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. coriander seeds
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds
• 25 fresh or frozen curry leaves
• 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 1-2 fresh green Thai, serrano, or finger chilies
• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 2 c. cooked kidney beans
• 2 c. frozen green peas
• 1 c. water
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 c. plain yogurt
• 1/2 c. half-and-half (10% MF)
• 2 tsp. cornstarch (cornflour)
• 2 Tbsp. cold water

Directions

1. Combine the coriander, cumin, peppercorns, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, ginger paste, and chilies and grind to a paste with a mortar and pestle.
2. Melt ghee over medium heat.
3. Add the paste and stir-fry for 30-60 seconds.
4. Stir in the kidney beans followed by the green peas.
5. Add the water and the salt.
6. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
7. Combine the yogurt and half-and-half and add to the pan.
8. Continue cooking for another 8-10 minutes.
9. Mix the cornstarch into the cold water.
10. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the curry, cook until thickened, and serve.

Aloo Pudhina Rajmah (Potato-Mint Kidney Beans)

This is yet another curry that I made while still trying to get back into the swing of things after my return from New Zealand. Not a favourite, I don't think. But it got the job done.

Photo goes here.

Aloo Pudhina Rajmah

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1/4 c. firmly packed fresh mint leaves
• 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 1/4 tsp. black peppercorns
• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 3-5 fresh green Thai, serano, or finger chilies
• 1 (7cm/3") cinnamon stick, broken
• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 russet or Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
• 3 c. cooked red kidney beans (rajmah)
• 1 c. water
• 1/2 c. plain yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. heavy (35%) cream
• 1 tsp. Punjabi garam masala
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 Tbsp. choppsed fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Add the tomato, onion, mint, ginger, peppercorns, turmeric, chilies, and cinnamon to a blender and purée.
2. Heat the ghee over medium-high heat.
3. Add the cumin seeds and sizzle for 5-10 seconds.
4. Pour in the sauce and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to medium, cover partially, and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated (~15 minutes).
6. Add the potatoes, kidney beans, and water and bring to a boil.
7. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender (~20 minutes).
8. Meanwhile, whisk the cream into the yogurt.
9. Once the potatoes are cooked through, stir in the yogurt mixture, masala, salt, and cilantro.
10. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until heated through (3-5 minutes).

This is a tasty stew, but I feel like it needed a bit more... something to perk it up a bit. You would think that with half a kilo of chorizo in the pot, it would have plenty of savoury umami and fat and spice and all that good stuff and it certainly smelled incredible, but -- for me at least -- the flavour didn't quite live up to what the aroma promised. Still... it was decent and very easy to throw together. Although it wasn't remotely ready in the time indicated in the recipe. I don't know if the InstantPot's low is just dramatically lower than whatever slow cooker they were using or what, but even after eight hours the beans were still fairly firm. And I even bumped the temperature up to "medium" for the last four hours of that cook time!

In the end it took a full 12 hours to cook! Four each on low, medium, and high. And it then got left on the highest "keep warm" temperature overnight as well. Next time I think I'd just start it on "slow cook - high" and aim for maybe a six-hour cook time. I'd probably also add a jalapeño or two as well. And maybe a bit of creole seasoning. Hopefully that would help round out the flavours a bit.

Red Bean and Chorizo Stew

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 450g dried red kidney beans
• 2 Tbsp. bacon fat
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1-2 jalape&ntile;os, minced (optional)
• 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 c. beef or chicken stock, divided
• 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. red chile flakes
• 1/8 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 1/2 tsp. creole seasoning (optional)
• 3 bay leaves
• 500g cured Spanish-style chorizo, sliced

Directions

1. Place the beans in a bowl and add enough water to cover by at least 3-4cm. Cover and let soak overnight.
2. The next day, melt the bacon fat over medium heat ("sauté - medium" in the InstantPot).
3. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper cook until softened and beginning to brown (5-7 minutes).
4. Add the garlic and jalapeños (if using) and cook for another minute or two.
5. Pour in 1 c. of the stock and scrape the bottom to deglaze the pot.
6. Drain the beans and add them to the pot.
7. Add the remaining stock, vinegar, chile flakes, pepper, creole seasoning (if using), bay leaves, and chorizo.
8. Stir to combine, cover, and slow cook on high for 6-8 hours.
9. Serve with rice and/or crusty bread and season with Tabasco or similar hot sauce(s).

Dahiwaale Rajmah (Kidney Beans in Yogurt Sauce)

Yogurt curries can be a bit hit-or-miss for me, but I liked this one. And so did TF and the Kidlet. Great success!

Photo does here.

Dahiwaale Rajmah

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1 c. plain yogurt
• 1 c. water
• 2 Tbsp. chickpea flour
• 1/2 Tbsp. garlic paste
• 1/2 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 3-4 fresh green Thai, serrano, or finger chilies, chopped
• 1-2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 tsp. Punjabi garam masala
• 3 c. cooked kidney beans
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Whisk the water into the yogurt.
2. Mix in the chickpea flour, garlic paste, sea salt, and turmeric and whisk until smooth.
3. Mix in the chilies and set aside.
4. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
5. Add the ginger and stir-fry for a minute or two.
6. Add the tomato and garam masala and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tomato softens (3-5 minutes).
7. Add the kidney beans and yogurt sauce and bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens (10-15 minutes).
9. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Maa di Dal (Mother's Dal)

Iyer notes that there are as many variants of this dal "as there are cooks in northwestern India", so this version is by no means definitive. He opts for a variety of whole spices, cream, and ghee in his version and combines the black lentils (mapte beans) with a few kidney beans near the end of cooking.

Maa di Dal

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 8 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 2-4 fresh green Thai, serrano, or finger chilies, stems removed
• 1 c. whole black lentils (mapte beans/sabud urad)
• 1/2 c. yellow split peas
• 6 c. water
• 4 cardamom pods (any colour)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 (7cm long) cinnamon sticks
• 2-4 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 c. tomato sauce (or crushed tomatoes)
• 2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. ground cayenne
• 1 c. cooked kidney beans
• 1/2 c. heavy (35%) cream or half-and-half (10%)
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Mash the garlic, ginger, and chilies in a molcajete (or mince in a food processor) and set aside.
2. Thoroughly rinse the black lentils and split peas.
3. Add the rinsed legumes to a pot with the water and bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium-high heat.
4. Skim and discard any foam from the surface of the water.
5. Add the garlic mixture along with the cardamom pods, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks and reduce heat to medium.
6. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the split peas are fall-apart tender (~1 hour).
7. Meanwhile, heat 1-2 Tbsp. of the ghee over medium-high heat.
8. Sprinkle the cumin seeds into the ghee and sizzle for 10-20 seconds.
9. Add the onion and stir-fry until light brown on the edges (3-5 minutes).
10. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the tomatoes, salt, and cayenne.
11. Simmer the sauce, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for ~10 minutes.
12. Once the legumes are tender, stir in the sauce, kidney beans, and cream.
13. Adjust consistency with a bit more water if desired (use it to swish out the sauce pan).
14. Cover the pot of curry and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes.
15. Stir in another 1-2 Tbsp. of ghee and the cilantro and serve.

Chana Rajmah (Chickpeas and Kidney Beans)

An easy legume curry with a thick, spiced, tomato sauce. Iyer suggests that it's good -- if non-traditional -- with cornbread instead of or as well as rice.

Chana Rajmah

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. dried chickpeas
• 1/2 c. dried kidney beans
• 4 1/2 c. water, divided
• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 tsp. panch phoron
• 1/4 c. fried onion paste
• 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 1 Tbsp. garlic paste
• 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds, ground
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp. ground Kashmiri chilies¹
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. jaggery
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Rinse the chickpeas and kidney beans and place them in a pressure cooker/InstantPot with 4 c. of water.
2. Pressure cook (high) for 75 minutes followed by a 15-minute natural release.
3. Meanwhile, melt the ghee over medium-high heat.
4. Add the panch phoron and sizzle for 15-20 seconds.
5. Add the onion paste, ginger paste, and garlic paste, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, for ~5 minutes.
6. Add the coriander, salt, Kashmiri chilies, and turmeric and cook for ~1 minute. Be careful not to burn the spices.
7. Add the tomato paste and sugar and cook for another minute.
8. Add the remaining 1/2 c. water and scrape to deglaze the pan.
9. Cook for a minute or two, then set aside until beans are ready.
10. Once beans are cooked, add the sauce to the pressure cooker and stir to combine.
11. Simmer, uncovered, over medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
12. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

---

Variations

Vegan Version

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. dried chickpeas
• 1/2 c. dried kidney beans
• 4 1/2 c. water, divided
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 tsp. panch phoron
• 1/4 c. fried onion paste
• 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 1 Tbsp. garlic paste
• 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds, ground
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp. ground Kashmiri chilies¹
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. jaggery
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

---

¹ The original recipe calls for 1 tsp. ground Deggi chilies or 1/2 tsp. ground cayenne + 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika. I didn't have any Deggi chilies, so I decided to swap in and equal amount of ground Kashmiri chilies instead of using the cayenne-paprika substitute. ^Back

Rajmah Shalgum (Turnips and Kidney Beans)

I really like this curry. The tomato and spices give it a deeply satisfying savouriness. I served it up along side a few other curries, but it's hearty enough to stand on its own if you only want to worry about making a single dish for dinner. All that being said, I do question the cooking instructions. Iyer instructs to cut the turnips into 1" cubes and cook them for only 15-20 minutes. He claims that they should be "fork tender" by this point. My turnips were still rock hard. Even after an extra half hour of cooking, they still were more "al dente" than tender.

I ended up making another curry involving turnips shortly after this one. In that one he also advises cutting the turnips into 1" cubes and simmering for 15-20 minutes. Although, that recipe also calls for a few minutes of stir-frying before the simmering. After my experience with this recipe, I opted to cut the turnips for the next recipe into 1cm cubes rather than 1". Even with the smaller size and the stir-frying, 20 minutes did not seem like enough to get the turnips sufficiently tender. I think, in the future, I'd keep the smaller cube size but also plan to simmer them for at least half an hour. I don't know, maybe I was using a different kind of turnip than Iyer. But my turnips certainly weren't cooking fully in the times he was recommending!

Rajmah Shalgum

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 1 Tbsp. garlic paste
• 4 black cardamom pods
• 1/4 c. tomato paste
• 2 tsp. fennel seeds, ground
• 2 tsp. cumin seeds, ground
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds, ground
• 1/2-1 tsp. ground Kashmiri chilies¹
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 4 c. water, divided
• 3 c. cooked kidney beans²
• 4 small turnips, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
• 1/2 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
• 6 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, divided

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium heat.
2. Add onion, ginger paste, garlic paste, and cardamom pods and stir-fry for 15 minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste, fennel, cumin, coriander, chilies, and turmeric and stir to combine.
4. Add 1 c. of the water and deglaze the pan.
5. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
6. Add another 1 c. of water and simmer, covered, for a further 8 minutes.
7. Add the remaining 2 c. of water along with the kidney beans, turnips, salt, and 1/4 c. of the cilantro.
8. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer vigorously, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for ~30 minutes.
9. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 Tbsp. of cilantro and serve.

---

¹ Or substitute 1/4 tsp. ground cayenne + 3/4 tsp. sweet paprika ^Back
2 Use tinned beans if you're in a hurry or get a few dried beans cooking in advance. If you're cooking your beans on the stovetop, it's best to give them an overnight soak first. If you're using a pressure cooker, you can get away without the soaking: Place 1 c. of dried beans in a pressure cooker/InstantPot along with 3 1/2 c. of water, stock, or a mix thereof and cook (on high pressure) for 40 minutes with a 15-minute natural release. Release any remaining pressure, drain, and your beans are ready to go! ^Back

This claims to be a chili recipe. While it does involve beans and tomatoes and chilies, it also involves a three-nut paste and the overall effect is much closer to a korma than any chili I've ever had. Thus, I am deciding that it's really a mislabeled korma after all. Either way, it's very good. I served it with some fried rice and a simple bottle gourd squash curry.

Three-Bean Korma

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-4 fresh green Thai, finger, or jalapeño chilies, chopped
• 1 (400mL) can diced tomatoes
• 1-2 tsp. ground Kashmiri chilies (or 1 part cayenne + 3 parts paprika)
• 1 tsp. sweet paprika (optional)
• 2 tsp. Dhania-Jeera Masala
• 1/2 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 3 c. water, divided
• 1/2 c. raw pine nuts
• 1/2 c. raw cashew nuts
• 1/2 c. raw pistachio nuts
• scant 2 c. cooked pinto beans
• scant 2 c. cooked kidney beans
• scant 2 c. cooked black beans
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium heat.
2. Add onion, celery, carrot, grlic, and fresh chilies and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, ground chilies, paprika (if using), masala, salt, and turmeric.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for ~5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, pour 1/4 c. of the water into a blender followed by all of the nuts and purée.
6. Add the nut paste to the tomato mixture.
7. Pour the remaining water into the blender and whizz it round to wash out the blender. Add this nutty water to the pot as well.
8. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
9. Reduce heat to medium-low, coer, and smmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
10. Reduce heat to low and cook for another 15 minutes.
11. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Mirchi Waale Kala aur Kabuli Chana (Black and Yellow Chickpeas with Red Chilies)

I forgot that the grocery stores would be closed on Easter Sunday and thus couldn't get the bits I needed to make the chicken and potato curries I had planned. So I had to do a swift search of the curry book for an emergency back-up plan. I ended up setting on a potato-paneer curry and this mixed legume dal.

Mirchi Waale Kala aur Kabuli Chana

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. dried chickpeas
• 1/4 c. dried black chickpeas
• 1/4 c. dried kidney beans
• 1/4 c. whole black lentils (mapte beans/sabud urad)
• 3 1/2 c. water, divided
• 1 onion, chopped
• 10 whole cloves
• 3-8 dried red Thai, cayenne, or arbol chilies, stems removed
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 2 (7-8cm) cinnamon sticks, crushed/broken
• 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 1 Tbsp. garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Rinse the dried legumes, drain, cover with hot water and let stand for 8-24 hours. For a quick-soak, place in pressure cooker, pressure cook for 1 minute, then let stand for 1 hour.
2. Drain the legumes, add 3 c. of fresh water, and pressure cook for 1 hour, followed by a 15-minute natural release.
3. Meanwhile, add 1/4 c. of the remaining water to a blender along with onion, cloves, chilies, cardamom pods, and crushed cinnamon sticks and purée.
4. Transfer onion paste to a bowl and stir in the ginger paste, garlic paste, and turmeric.
5. Melt ghee over medium heat.
6. Add the onion paste and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
7. Stir in the tomato paste and salt and set aside.
8. Once the legumes are done, open the pressure cooker and add the sauce.
9. Pour the remaining 1/4 c. of water into the pan that the sauce was cooked in to deglaze it and add this liquid to the legumes as well.
10. Simmer the dal over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. For thinner dal, keep it covered while simmering. For thicker dal, simmer it uncovered.
11. Stir in the cream.
12. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Feijoada (Goan-Style)

The main contenders for dinner tonight were either hotpot or curry. TF was more in the mood for curry, so that's what we opted for, and I'm really glad we did! This curry was so good! Everyone loved it. The sausage and beans work really well together and the vinegar, chilies, and garlic combine to give it wonderful, savoury-sour, mouthwatering flavour. I'm slightly regretting not making a double batch!

Photo goes here.

Feijoada

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. malt vinegar
• 4-5 cloves garlic¹ (or 1/4 c. garlic paste)
• 4 dried guajillo chilies²
• 2-4 dried red Thai, cayenne, or arbol chilies³
• 2 slices fresh ginger (or 1 1/2 Tbsp. ginger paste)
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 large onion, halved and sliced
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 c. water
• 1-2 c. cooked black-eyed peas⁴
• 1-2 c. cooked kidney beans
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 450g pork⁵ sausage (chorizo is ideal), cut crosswise 1cm thick
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Combine vinegar, garlic, both kinds of chilies, and ginger in a blender and puree.
2. Heat oil over medium heat.
3. Add cumin seeds and sizzle for 10-20 seconds.
4. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes.
5. Add the pureed mixture and simmer, uncovered, for another 5 minutes.
6. Add tomato and turmeric and cook, uncovered, for 5 more minutes.
7. Add water, both kinds of beans, salt, and sausage and bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is cooked through (~15 minutes).
9. Sprinkle with cilantro.
10. Serve over rice.

---

¹ Since I was working with a previously prepared guajillo chili sauce rather than whole chilies, I opted to swap in garlic paste and ginger paste for the fresh garlic and ginger in order to eliminate the necessity for the blender. I used ~1/4 c. of garlic paste and 1 1/2 Tbsp. of ginger paste. ^Back
2 I had some leftover guajillo chili sauce from an earlier recipe, so I just used that in place of the dried chilies. I used ~6 Tbsp. of sauce. ^Back
3 I left out the spicier arbol chilies entirely both because I didn't want to have to bust out the blender and because I figured using only the much milder guajillo chilies would be more to the Kidlet's taste anyway. This proved to be the right call; she loved it! ^Back
4 I didn't have any black-eyed peas so I swapped in a cup of cooked black turtle beans instead. ^Back
5 This recipe can easily be made vegetarian/vegan by swapping in plant-based sausages for the pork ones. ^Back

Kashmiri Rajma (Kashmiri Kidney Beans)

We were planning a mac & cheese for dinner tonight, but mac & cheese isn't really a meal in and of itself. We added a bit of chopped kale to the pasta to give it a veggie boost and I whipped up this kidney bean curry to add some protein. I think the kidney beans complemented the mac & cheese really well! And this did come together quite easily in the InstantPot. I think the only change I'd make next time is to reduce the water a bit since I prefer thicker curries.

The recipe calls for a small amount of garam masala. Since this author tends to assume that you'll only have one (likely store-bought) garam masala on hand, I just used a basic bin bhuna hua garam masala for it. That said, it was tempting to swap in some Kashmiri garam masala since I had some made up already and it seemed fitting with the Kashmiri kidney beans. I might try that next time.

Kashmiri rajma (left) pictured with masala mac & cheese (right).

Kashmiri Rajma

Slightly adapted from Vegetarian Indian Cooking with Your Instant Pot by Manali Singh

Ingredients

• 1 c. kashmiri kidney beans¹
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1/2 (3") cinnamon stick
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 3 whole cloves
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/8 tsp. ground asafetida
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 1 Tbsp. garlic paste
• 400mL diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds, ground
• 3/4 tsp. fennel seeds, ground
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/8-1/4 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2-1 tsp. ground Kashmiri chilies
• 3/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 c. water
• 2-3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp. ghee, to serve (optional)

Directions

1. Soak the beans overnight. Alternatively, for a quick soak, pour boiling water over the beans to cover and let soak for 1 hour.
2. Drain the beans and set aside.
3. Set InstantPot to sauté (medium) and, once pot has preheated, add oil, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and cumin seeds and cook for 30-60 seconds.
4. Add onion and asafetida and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add ginger and garlic and cook for another minute or so.
6. Add tomato, cover with glass/slow cooker lid, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
7. Stir in coriander, fennel, salt, chili powder, Kashmiri chilies, and ginger and cook for a minute more.
8. Add water and cilantro along with drained beans.
9. Seal InstantPot and set to pressure cook on high for 35 minutes. Allow a 15 minute natural release.
10. Set InstantPot to sauté on high.
11. Use a potato masher to mash some of the beans.
12. Simmer the curry until desired consistency is achieved, then stir in ghee (if using).
13. Serve with rice and/or your favourite mac & cheese!

---

¹ Kashmiri kidney beans tend to be smaller and darker than standard North American kidney beans. If you can't find them, try looking for dry "chili beans". If you can't find those either, then regular kidney beans will work. ^Back

This calls for 15oz (440mL) tins of beans. We mostly had 500-600mL tins and just scaled it up. This resulted in almost too much to fit in the pot, but it did turn out tasty and the Kidlet has been eating it with enthusiasm. For the purposes of this writeup, I went with the original proportions, but it appears to be a very forgiving recipe.

symbol and I both found that topping it with sriracha and a small amount of cider vinegar gives it some much-needed presence.

One Pot Vegetarian Chili Mac

Budget Bytes

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 15oz tinned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 15oz tinned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 15oz tinned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 15oz tinned diced tomatoes
• 15oz tomato sauce (if you have a surplus of diced tomatoes or tomato sauce, dial back the other one accordingly)
• 1 C frozen corn kernels
• 2 C vegetable broth
• 2 C uncooked short pasta (macaroni, rotini, etc)
• 2 C shredded sharp cheddar

Directions

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat.
2. Add the garlic and onion and sautee until the onion softens and turns translucent.
3. Add the flour and chili powder. Continue to cook, stirring, until the onion is well coated, 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the beans, tomatoes, corn, and vegetable broth. Deglaze.
5. Stir in the pasta, raise heat to medium high, cover, and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10-20 minutes (depending on pasta shape), until pasta is cooked to desired tenderness.
7. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar. Serve.

Kala aur Kabuli Chana (Black and Yellow Chickpeas)

I really enjoyed the variety of legumes in this dal. Given that only chickpeas are mentioned in the title, I wasn't expecting to see kidney beans and black lentils (mapte beans) on the ingredient list. It made for a lovely combination!

Kala aur Kabuli Chana

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. dried black chickpeas
• 1/4 c. dried (yellow) chickpeas
• 1/4 c. dried red kidney beans
• 1/4 c. whole black lentils (mapte beans/sabud urad)
• 3 c. water
• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 2 tsp. cumin seeds, 1 tsp. ground, 1 tsp. whole
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds, ground
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. ground asafetida
• 2 dried red Thai, cayenne, or arbol chilies
• 1 large tomato, cored and chopped
• 2-4 fresh green Thai or cayenne chilies, stemmed and halved lengthwise
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Combine dried legumes and rinse thoroughly.
2. Cover with hot water and let sit, covered, for at least 8 hours.
3. Drain legume mixture and place in pressure cooker with water.
4. Cook on high pressure for ~1 hour. Allow for a 15 minute natural release (75 minutes total).
5. Meanwhile, heat ghee over medium-high heat.
6. Add mustard seeds and cook, covered, for 30-60 seconds. (Mustard seeds will pop like popcorn.)
7. Remove from heat and add both whole and ground cumin seeds, sugar, salt, coriander, turmeric, asafetida, and dried chilies.
8. Add tomato and fresh chilies and return to medium heat.
9. Cook for ~2 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside until legumes are done.
10. Stir tomato mixture into cooked legumes.
11. Simmer over medium heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for ~15 minutes.
12. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Khatte Meethe Chanay (Sweet and Sour Chickpeas and Kidney Beans)

I was initially dubious of this recipe. I like kidney beans in chili. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy them in a curry. And I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the contrast of the chickpeas with the kidney beans. As it turns out though, it was great! Kidney bean curries are amazing. And I really liked the sweet-sour combination.

Khatte Meethe Chanay

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1 red onion, minced
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 4-6 dried red Thai, cayenne, or arbol chilies, minced
• 1/4 c. ginger paste
• 2 Tbsp. ghee or oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 Tbsp. coriander seeds, ground
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt¹
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. fennel seeds, ground
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. cardamom seeds from green pods, ground
• 3 c. cooked chickpeas
• 2 c. cooked kidney beans
• 1L water
• 2 tsp. tamarind concentrate
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Combine onion, garlic, chilies, and ginger paste.²
2. Heat ghee over medium-high heat.
3. Add cumin seeds and simmer for 10-15 seconds.
4. Add onion mixture and stir-fry for ~5 minutes.
5. Add coriander, salt, sugar, fennel, turmeric, and cardamom and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
6. Add chickpeas, kidney beans, and water.
7. Stir in tamarind concentrate.
8. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes.
9. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

---

¹ If you've cooked your own chickpeas and kidney beans from dried without the addition of any salt, you may need additional salt during cooking. Add up to 1/2 tsp. additional salt for salt-less legumes. ^Back
2 If you have a food processor, you can leave the onions, garlic, and chilies in large pieces and use fresh ginger in place of ginger paste. You will need three 1x2" slices of ginger each ~1/8" thick. Combine these ingredients in the food processor and process until minced. ^Back

Teen Taal Dal (Three Tune Dal)

I needed something quick and easy for dinner last night and this fit the bill. The added bonus was supposed to be that it'd use up some cream and yogurt that needed to be eaten but, sadly, the yogurt had already gone off. Oh well, at least it used up most of the cream!

Teen Taal Dal

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. whole black lentils (mapte beans/sabud urad)
• 1/4 c. dried chickpeas
• 1/4 c. dried red kidney beans
• 3 water, divided
• 2 bay leaves¹
• 2 black or green cardamom pods²
• 1 (3") cinnamon stick
• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 red onion, minced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 1-3 fresh green Thai chiles³, minced
• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 c. plain yogurt
• 1/4 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 1 tsp. Dhania-Jeera Masala
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Pick the legumes over for stones and rinse well.
2. Place legumes in pressure cooker/InstantPot with 2 2/3 c. water as well as bay leaves, cardamom pods, and the cinnamon stick.
3. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes and allow a 15-minute natural release at the end of cooking.
4. Meanwhile, melt the ghee over medium heat.
5. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and chilies and cook, stirring occasionally, for ~10 minutes.
6. Add the turmeric and 1/3 c. water and deglaze the pan.
7. Remove from heat and stir in tomato paste and salt.
8. Once the legumes are cooked, stir in the tomato-onion mixture.
9. Cook, uncovered, on medium heat for ~5 minutes.
10. Stir in the yogurt, cream, and jeera masala and cook for another minute or so.
11. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with rice and/or roti.

---

¹ I chose to use "Indian bay leaves" (which I believe are actually cassia leaves), but regular (bay laurel) leaves work fine here too. ^Back
2 I opted to use one of each. ^Back
3 I used only one chili as I wanted it to be mild enough for the Kidlet to enjoy, but I think this made it a little too mild. Next time I'd go with two chilies. I think that'd make the flavour a little more interesting while still being plenty mild enough for the Kidlet. ^Back

Tamatar Malai Rajmah (Kidney Beans with Slow-Stewed Tomato Sauce)

Here's an easy curry to throw together if you have time for the simmering. I replaced the minced garlic and ginger with their paste equivalents to reduce the prep work still further. I also halved the salt, black cardamom, and cayenne called for in the recipe; the first two to cater to my tastes and the second to cater to the Kidlet's.

Tamatar Malai Rajmah

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 2 (3") cinnamon sticks
• 2 bay leaves or Indian bay (cassia) leaves
• 1-2 black cardamom pods
• 4 Tbsp. garlic paste (or 4 large cloves of garlic¹, minced)
• 2-3 Tbsp. ginger paste (or 5 [1"x2"x1/4"] slices ginger, minced)
• 3 c. water, divided
• 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp. sweet paprika
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 tsp. coriander seeds, ground
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds, ground
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/4 c. fried onion paste
• 3 c. cooked red kidney beans
• 1/2 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 1/2 tsp. Punjabi garam masala
• 2 Tbsp. fresh minced cilantro

Directions

1. Melt ghee over medium-high heat.
2. Add cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, and cardamom pod(s) and sizzle for 10-20 seconds.
3. Add garlic and ginger and cook for another 30-60 seconds.
4. Add 1/2 c. water, tomato paste, paprika, salt, coriander, cumin, cayenne, and turmeric and reduce heat to medium-low.
5. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Stir in another 1/2 c. of water, cover, and simmer for another 5 minutes.
7. Repeat step 6 twice more.
8. Add fried onion paste, cover, and simmer for another 5 minutes.
9. Add remaining 1 c. water and kidney beans and increase heat to medium.
10. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for ~15 minutes.
11. Stir in cream and Punjabi garam masala and cook until warmed through (~2 minutes).
12. Remove from heat and sprinkle with cilantro.
13. Serve with rice and/or naan.

---

¹ You will probably have less than 4 Tbsp. of minced garlic. I always use a bit (or sometimes a lot) mare garlic paste than fresh garlic because its flavour is usually somewhat muted compared to fresh garlic. ^Back

It's October and that means pumpkins are in season! I don't tend to go in for "pumpkin spice" everything like you tend to see marketed this time of year, but I do really enjoy pie pumpkins. Aside from pumpkin pie and pumpkin cake being great, pumpkin soup is also fantastic. I made a chunky tomato-pumpkin soup a couple years ago, but failed to write down the recipe. I took a slightly different approach for this version, but I'm pretty happy with the results. I think the only change I'd make next time is swapping out the tamarind concentrate for amchoor (unripe mango powder).

This is a fairly flexible and forgiving recipe. It can be made with regular or low-fat coconut milk (or even cow's milk/cream if you prefer). You can use diced or crushed tomatoes and skip the purée step for a more chunky soup. You could swap out the red kidney beans for cannellini beans or chickpeas. For a completely smooth soup, red lentils would work well. If using lentils, I'd add a cup or so along with the broth and probably use an extra cup of broth. Simmer until tender and then purée for a thick, smooth, delicious soup.

Tomato-Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pie pumpkin
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. coconut oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (800mL) can tomatoes¹
• 1 (400mL) can lite coconut milk
• 2 c. vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar or coconut sugar
• 1 tsp. Madras Curry Powder
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• ~30 grinds black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. red chile flakes
• 1/2 tsp. tamarind concentrate or amchoor
• 2 c. cooked kidney beans
• 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Cut pumpkin in half and scrape out seeds and "guts". (Save seeds for roasting if you wish.)
2. Brush inside of pumpkin and cut edges with olive oil.
3. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 50-60 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
5. While pumpkin is cooling, melt coconut oil over medium heat.
6. Add onion and cool until edges begin to brown.
7. Add garlic and cook for another minute or two.
8. Add tomatoes, coconut milk, vegetable broth, sugar, salt, pepper, chile flakes, and tamarind concentrate/amchoor.
9. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes or so.
10. Remove from heat and purée².
11. Return to medium heat and add kidney beans. Cook until beans are heated through.
12. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

---

¹ Diced, whole, or crushed would be fine here. ^Back
2 I used a stick/immersion blender to purée the soup right in the pot. Soup can also be puréed in batches in a regular blender jar. ^Back

Dahi Elaichi Rajmah (Kidney Beans in a Cardamom-Yogurt Sauce)

Okay, this is definitely my new favourite kidney bean based curry. And not just because it gives me an excuse to make and eat freshly-fired pooris. (Although that is a pretty good reason!) I'm a big fan of the flavours in this curry. The punjabi garam masala gives it a nice cinnamon-y warmth and the cayenne adds just enough heat balanced with the lovely tart tang from the curdled yogurt. It's perfect. And, now that I know that I can buy frozen, ready-to-fry pooris from the Indian grocery, I suspect this will be a recipe that I revisit with some frequency.

Dahi Elaichi Rajmah

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 green cardamom pods
• 1 c. plain yogurt
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 2 c. cooked red kidney beans
• 2 c. water
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 tsp. Punjabi garam masala
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne
• 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Melt ghee over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion and cardamom pods and cook for a couple minutes until onion begins to brown.
3. Stir in yogurt and cook until liquid evaporates and only onion-flecked yogurt curds are left (~15 minutes).
4. Stir in turmeric.
5. Add kidney beans, water, salt, garam masala, and cayenne and stir to combine.
6. Reduce heat to medium and cook until sauce has thickened (10-15 minutes).
7. Stir in cilantro.
8. Serve with fresh pooris and, if you'd like a bit more kick, lime pickles.

Punjabi Rajmah (Punjabi-Style Kidney Beans)

If you're looking for a quick and easy curry to throw together, this definitely fits the bill. It's not as saucy as many curries. The sauce is thick and scoop-able rather than pour-able. Iyer recommends serving this one with naan and I agree. Especially since the thicker consistency makes it perfect for scooping up with naan rather than soaking into rice.

Punjabi Rajmah

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1 onion, minced very fine
• 3-4 fresh green Thai chiles
• 2 Tbsp. garlic paste¹
• 1 Tbsp. ginger paste²
• 1 Tbsp. amchoor (unripe mango powder)³
• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 1/2 c. plain yogurt
• 1 c. water
• 2-3 c. cooked red kidney beans
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 tsp. Punjabi garam masala

Directions

1. Combine onion, chiles, garlic, ginger, and amchoor and mix well⁴.
2. Heat the ghee over medium-high heat and add the minced blend. Stir-fry for ~5 minutes. (Make sure you have good ventilation for this as the chiles will be very hard on your lungs otherwise.)
3. Add the yogurt and cook until dry and curd-like (~10-15 minutes).
4. Add water and beans and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for an additional 10-15 minutes.
6. Stir in the cilantro and garam masala.
7. Serve with warm naan.

---

¹ Or, alternatively, 4 large cloves of garlic, crushed. ^Back
2 Fresh ginger also works here, I just find ginger paste more convenient. ^Back
3 If mango powder is unavailable, use lime juice instead. ^Back
4 If you have a food processor, you can skip mincing the onion and crushing the garlic and whatnot and just bung everything in and pulse until minced. If you go the food processor route, hold the amchoor back until everything else is minced and then sprinkle the powder in and mix it through at the end. Trying to add it at the beginning with everything else will result in clogs and chunks. ^Back

This tagine came out quite well. And it seems like it should be reasonably flexible as well. I ended up using tinned cherry tomatoes rather than fresh. Because the recipe was expecting fresh tomatoes, I only put the exact number called for and held back the juice. Next time I think I'd just put the whole tin in, juice and all. I think I'd also up the feta next time and sprinkle it over the whole tagine, rather than just the portobello caps. And while I have no objection to the cannellini/white kidney beans, they didn't have much presence. I think, if you want a mild, unassuming bean that isn't going to stand out, stick with the cannellini beans. If you want something that's going to have a little more chew and be more noticeable, swap them out for some chickpeas.

Mushroom Tagine with Eggplant and Squash

Slightly adapted from 150 Best Tagine Recipes by Pat Crocker

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6-8 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1 Tbsp. ras el hanout
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 227g cremini mushrooms, chopped
• 2 Asian eggplants (long, skinny, and pale purple), peeled and diced
• 1 c. diced squash or pumpkin
• 1 dried cayenne or arbol chile, crumbled (optional)
• 18 fresh cherry tomatoes, halved or 1 (400mL) tin of cherry tomatoes
• 1 (400mL) tin cannellini/white kidney beans or chickpeas/garbanzo beans
• 1 c. chopped kale, Swiss chard, cabbage, or bok choy
• 2 portobello mushroom caps
• 1/4 to 1/2 c. feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium heat.
2. Add onion, garlic, and ras el hanout and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
3. Add butter, cremini mushrooms, eggplant, and squash and cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Add cayenne, tomatoes, and beans.
5. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Stir in kale.
7. Nestle portobello caps into vegetables, gill-side-up.
8. Sprinkle with feta.
9. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
10. Cut portobello caps in half to serve.
11. Serve over rice or couscous with condiments of choice: chermoula, tamarind-date chutney, cilantro-mint chutney, fried onions, etc.

---

Variations

Vegan

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6-8 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1 Tbsp. ras el hanout
• 2 Tbsp. margarine
• 227g cremini mushrooms, chopped
• 2 Asian eggplants (long, skinny, and pale purple), peeled and diced
• 1 c. diced squash or pumpkin
• 1 dried cayenne or arbol chile, crumbled (optional)
• 18 fresh cherry tomatoes, halved or 1 (400mL) tin of cherry tomatoes
• 1 (400mL) tin cannellini/white kidney beans or chickpeas/garbanzo beans
• 1 c. chopped kale, Swiss chard, cabbage, or bok choy
• 2 portobello mushroom caps
• 1/4 to 1/2 c. vegan feta