Curried Lima Beans

This recipe features a traditional Indian Gujarati dish (Gujarat is a state in India known for its distinct cuisine) called Vaal nu Shaak. As is the case with most traditional dishes, every household usually has their own version of the basic recipe with a few tweaks. I learned this dish from my mom’s Gujarati friend who knew I had a weakness for the cuisine. I have tried to keep this recipe as close as possible to her version, while adapting it for the Instant Pot.

The star of this recipe is Lima Beans or Butter Beans. In North India, these beans are called “Vaal” and in South India, they are called “Mochakottai”. Regardless of what they are called, these beans are yummy and will almost melt in the mouth when cooked well. The spicy, sweet and tangy flavors in this dish combine to create a unique and flavorful taste, and it pairs well with warm rice or rotis(traditional Indian flatbread). Try it and you won’t be disappointed! This recipe also freezes well, so it is perfect for those times when you want to make a big batch of food and freeze some away for a rainy day.

Curried Lima Beans

Recipe by theplantpaletteblogCourse: MainCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups  lima beans (see notes)

• 2 teaspoons ginger paste

• 1 teaspoon garlic paste

• 1 green chilli, finely minced

• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder (see notes)

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 2 teaspoons coriander powder

• 1 teaspoon cumin powder

• 1 teaspoon garam masala

• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

• 1 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 tablespoons garbanzo bean flour (besan)

• 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)

• 3 tablespoons grated jaggery/brown sugar

• 3 tablespoons tamarind paste

• 1 tablespoon oil

• 1½ cups water (see notes)

• Salt to taste

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (for garnish)

Directions

• Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and add oil. Once hot, add the mustard seeds. When it starts to crackle, add the bay leaves and carom seeds.
• Then add asafoetida, ginger paste, garlic paste, minced green chilli and cook for a minute.
• Add all the dry spices – turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala and the garbanzo bean flour too. Mix well.
• Add the lima beans, water, salt, tamarind paste and jaggery (or sugar) and mix again.
• Close and secure the lid and turn the vent to seal. Set to Manual Mode (high pressure) and cook for 40 minutes if using dried and soaked beans, or 5 minutes if using frozen beans. Once cooking is done, let pressure release naturally.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with rice or roti.

Notes

• You can use dried butter beans or frozen lima beans, both of which are readily available in most grocery stores. If using dried beans, wash and soak in water overnight before following the recipe. 1 cup of dried beans will yield 2 cups of soaked beans as called for in this recipe.
• Although I have specified 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder in the recipe, the spice level could vary depending on the type of chillies used. If you do not like the dish to be too spicy, reduce the amount of red chilli powder.
• If using frozen beans, reduce the amount of water in the recipe to 1 cup.