Southern coconut double bean curry

By: Anjum Anand
From: Anjum's Quick & Easy Indian
Serves: 4
Photographer: Lisa Linder

This is an everyday curry to which I turn often, as I always have cans of kidney beans in my larder as well as a block of creamed coconut and some tamarind paste. But it is certainly not everyday in taste. I add the green beans to make a complete meal, but you can leave them out, or add any other vegetable. The sugar subtly enhances the coconut flavour. Serve with rice.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
3 tablespoons	vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon	mustard seeds
1	smallish red onion, finely chopped
10-12	fresh curry leaves
6	fat garlic cloves, grated
2 teaspoons	ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon	chilli powder, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon	turmeric
1 teaspoon	ground cumin
	salt
800g	canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
75g	green beans, topped, tailed and halved
60g	creamed coconut block
3/4-1 teaspoon	caster sugar, or to taste
2-3 teaspoons	tamarind paste, or to taste

Method

Heat the oil in a medium-large non-stick saucepan. Add the mustard seeds and, once the popping subsides, add the onion and curry leaves and cook until the onion is soft and turning colour. Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute, or until it smells cooked. Add the ground spices and some salt with a splash of water and cook for one or two minutes.
Add both types of beans and the coconut, with one-quarter of a bean can-full of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for five to seven minutes, or until everything comes together and has thickened slightly. Stir in the sugar and tamarind paste to taste, then adjust the seasoning to serve.

Note

Hardly the most exotic item in the storecupboard, blocks of creamed coconut have long been overtaken by the more widely used cans of coconut milk. But I find the blocks essential, more textured than the canned milk and certainly less wasteful, and use them constantly.

Tags:: quick; easy; simple; fast; Indian; Anjum; Anand; midweek

Southern coconut double bean curry

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