A lima bean curry in a creamy, spicy orange sauce with cilantro.
For years now, one of my favorite quickie recipes has been a flavorful but utterly simple cauliflower curry that requires just a minimum of ingredients.
The cauliflower goes into a tomato sauce that, together with some turmeric, creates a glorious orange color.
But this time I thought, why not substitute the cauliflower with beans?
So in went some lima beans, those creamy, buttery, flavorful little nuggets that I simply adore in dishes like Greek Gigantes. The result was quite wonderful. I guess one could use both cauliflower and limas, and I might just try it that way the next time I make this dish.
So here's this glorious, gorgeous but super-easy dish that will have you coming back for seconds, and thirds.
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Lima Bean Curry
Ingredients
- 1 cup lima beans (cooked or canned)
- 2 tomatoes (diced)
- 2 teaspoon cumin seeds (divided)
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- A pinch asafetida (hing, optional)
- 1 teaspoon cayenne (use less for less heat)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ cup cilantro (minced)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Blend together the tomatoes, a teaspoon of cumin, mustard seeds and garlic, using just enough water. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the remaining cumin seeds for tempering, and when they sputter, add the asafetida, if using, and the blended tomato mixture.
- Add the cayenne and turmeric powders and stir in. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
- Now add the beans and liquid to the saucepan. Add salt to taste, and continue to cook until the gravy thickens, about 10 minutes. (If you use cauliflower, add the florets raw when you would the beans, but stir-fry for a couple of minutes before you add some water. Check regularly to ensure that the cauliflower does not overcook.)
- Garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with rice.
Dawn
Please help! I'm confused. I'm sure I'm missing something or just not reading the recipe correctly. The ingredients list calls for Cumin seeds and Mustard seeds (no powder), but the instructions mention cumin/mustard powder (blended with the tomatoes) then cumin seeds going into the fry pan and no mention of the mustard seeds.
Vaishali
Hi, I've corrected the typo--blend half the cumin and the mustard with the tomatoes and use the rest for tempering.
Anonymous
No chili in list of ingredients
Vaishali
It's cayenne. I call it chilli powder interchangeably. I've changed it to cayenne to make it easier to understand.
Bindu
Where do i get Lima Beans in India and what are they called?
Ruksana
Thanks so much for this, I cooked lima beans today for the first time and used your recipe, they came out absolutely delish. Am sharing your link on my blog. Happy New Year 🙂
Aparna
Thanks for painting this post "Orange", Vaishali. Lima beans sounds delicious, and cauliflower lover that I am, I'm sure it would be even better with the cauliflower.:)
Usha
I was thinking of making some type of lima bean curry this week and this seems like a great recipe to try with lima beans 🙂
Poornima Nair
I had lima beans for the first time last week and bought a pack this weekend. Gonna try this, it looks delicious.
TBC
Thanks for the recipe, Vaishali. I made this.:)
It is super quick. I used frozen lima beans and added some rice flour towards the end to thicken it up a bit.
It goes really well with rice.:)
Madhumathi
Thats a lovely curry..I love lima beans and I can't wait to try this 🙂
Sharmila
Just the kind of cooking I love ... fast and easy. 🙂 I just let the cooker shout a few more extras if cooking any beans right out of the jar. 🙂
Pavithra Kodical
I use legumes in most of our diet.Delicious recipe..In my To Do list 🙂
Sunshinemom
Curry looks great! I love any kind of beans but I don't think we get this here.
John Etsweiler
Try looking for Butter Beans. They are used in recipes such as Vaal Nu Shaak and Pavta Bhaji. Hope this helps you find them - they are delicious. Not popular in the North, or at least hard to find, but well worth looking for. There are some excellent canned versions where you are.
Jack Etsweiler
Ann Arbor, MI
Priya
Delicious curry..looks really colourful n yummy!!
Trupti
Lima bean curry one of my fav. Your version of curry looks very delicious
Mihl
I really, really can't get enough of beany curries! Thank you so much for another awesome recipe.
Cham
I am huge fan of lima beans , great curry for roti or rice.
Asha
I love baby Lima beans, they are so buttery in dishes. Looks good V, lovely color! 🙂