Indian Butterbean Curry
I am fully obsessed with beans at the moment. They’re absolutely everywhere online right now, especially across the Instagram foodie scene, and the constant flood of bean content has fully converted me. I’ve been trying so many new bean-based dishes lately and honestly, I don’t see this obsession ending anytime soon.
You may of heard of ‘rajma’ an Indian bean curry made with kidney beans. So I thought how about swapping kidney beans for my favourite bean- the butter bean.
The result is a rich, creamy white bean curry that delivers all those cosy, spiced flavours you want from a proper curry night. The butter beans work surprisingly well here; they soak up the sauce beautifully while still holding their shape, so you get that creamy bite without them going mushy.
Serve it up with fluffy rice and warm naan for that full takeaway-style experience at home. It tastes indulgent, but it’s actually much healthier and way cheaper than ordering take out.
And like most curries, this curry gets even better the next day as the flavours deepen overnight, making it perfect for meal prep or a next-day lunch you’ll actually look forward to.
Ingredients you'll need to make a bean curry-
- Butter beans- Butter beans out of the can are fine or you can cook them from scratch. This curry also works well with chickpeas or kidney beans.
- Cashew nuts- Cashews soaked in boiling water make a vegan cream for drizzling onto the finished curry. You can also use vegan cream or omit.
- Spices- The spices used are pantry staples, if you don't have them all that's okay but garam masala is essential. This recipe doesn't include chili but feel free to add some chilis flakes or powder if you like spice.
- Ginger and garlic paste- I often use jarred minced garlic and ginger for ease but you can use fresh if you prefer.
Why eat beans?
Beans are a great source of both protein and fiber- essential nutrients for a healthy body. Many people are deficient in fiber which is so important for digestion. Just one cup of cooked butter beans provides 9g of fiber which is almost 1/3 of an adults daily fiber requirement. They also contain essential vitamins and minerals. So they're an all round great food to add to your diet.
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What to serve with bean curry
I always serve this butter bean curry with freshly cooked fluffy basmati rice or homemade fluffy naan. If you'd like an extra nutrient boost you could serve with a higher protein food such as tofu or tempeh and a side of steamed vegetables.
How to make curry taste like takeout
- Use 3-4 tablespoons of oil and add finely diced onions
- Cook onions until they start to go brown then add garlic and ginger
- Add 3 tbsp of tomato passata and cook for a minute
- Add spices
- Cook on low until oil starts to rise to the top
- Add the butter beans
- Add the remaining passata and cook on low for 15 minutes
- Soak cashews for 10 minutes in boiling water
- Blend the cashews and water to make cream
- Serve the curry topped with cashew cream
Vegan Butter Bean Curry
Ingredients
- 400 g Butter beans
- 1 Onion
- 50 g Cashew nuts
- 1 tsp Ginger paste
- 3 Cloves Garlic
- 500 g Tomato passata
Spice Mix
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Cardamom powder
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- 2 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Fenugreek
- 2 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Add the cashews and 50ml of boiling water to a blender cup and leave to soak.
- Dice up the onion and fry on medium heat for around 10 minutes
- Add the garlic ginger paste and stir for 1 minute.
- Add in 3 tbsp of the passata and cook on medium heat for 2 minutes
- Add the spices and cook for one minute.
- Add the butter beans and the remaining passata.
- simmer on low heat for 30 minutes- check occasionally and stir to avoid burning.
- Blend the cashew nuts and water until smooth and add half to the curry.
- Serve up drizzled with some more cashew cream.
- Serve up with some soft fluffy naan and basmati rice if you wish.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Love curry? Check out some of these other curry recipes
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