Urad & Rajma Curry (Black Lentil and Kidney Beans)
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes. Soaking time (urad dal): 8 hours preferably overnight. Cooking time: 80 minutes.
Suitable for: Vegetarians, vegans (use vegetable oil instead of ghee/butter) and those on a gluten free diet
Serve piping hot with rotis or paranthas and plain boiled brown rice
Ingredients:
Tarka:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (use 40g butter/ghee to give a more flavoursome/creamy dish)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
4 whole cloves
1 medium onion, chopped finely
200g tinned plum peeled whole or chopped tomatoes or 3 fresh tomatoes skinned and chopped roughly
1½ - 2 chillies (green finger), chopped finely
2 level teaspoons salt
½ - ¾ teaspoon turmeric (haldi) - add higher amount if using fresh tomatoes
¼ - ½ teaspoon of garam masala
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated finely
230g urad dhal, sorted (to remove stones etc), rinsed and soaked in fresh water preferably overnight (8 hours mimimum)
900ml water
400g tin of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
handful of chopped fresh coriander
garnish with a knob of butter or ghee and fresh coriander leaves
Method:
Drain and rinse the soaked dhal and place in a deep pan with 900ml of water (enough water to cover the dhal plus a couple of inches above). Bring to the boil, turn down to heat to a low to medium setting. Cover the pan and simmer gently for about an hour.
Whilst the dhal is simmering, make the tarka. Heat the oil (butter or ghee) on medium heat until fairly hot (be careful with butter/ghee as these have lower smoking points). Add the cumin seeds and cloves and stir until they splutter (virtually immediately)
Turn the heat down to low/medium, add the onions and fry gently stirring occasionally until they soften.
Add the tomatoes, salt, turmeric, chillies, garlic, ginger stir. Continue to cook gently, ‘mashing’ the tomatoes until a paste like consistency forms. I use a potato masher.
Add the garam masala, stir and cook for a further minute or so or until oil oozes out of the paste when a wooden spoon is dragged along the base of the pan
Add the kidney beans to the tarka, stir to combine and cook gently for about 5 minutes with the lid on the pan.
Once the dhal is ready add the kidney bean ‘tarka’, stir to combine and bring back to the boil adding more water if necessary.
Turn down the heat to low/medium heat, cover the pan and simmer gently for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add the chopped coriander. Bring back to the boil on gentle heat.
Take off the heat. Serve piping hot garnished with fresh coriander leaves and a knob of ghee or butter.