red beans from india

As much as I hate to admit it, I think the internet is pretty cool sometimes. I realize this statement makes me sound old and out of touch. I don't care.

What has finally impressed me is that we were able to trade recipes with someone in India. (That's on the other side of the world. How cool!) Taste & Create is an event where cool people (like us) with food blogs sign up to exchange recipes and blog about it. (I still squirm when using 'blog' as a verb.)

We were paired with Arundathi at My Food Blog. On her site, she has many, many recipes for delicious-looking baked goods, as well as traditional Indian recipes. Kaytie and I finally decided to make rajma - the Indian version of red beans & rice. (Those of you who know us know how much we love Cajun red beans & rice. . . I am avoiding potty humor now. This is not an easy feat for me.)

They were great! Nothing at all like the red beans we normally make, but still a big hit. They were spicy without being too hot and flavorful without being too heavy. We served them over rice with naan and PBR. TOTT brought some mango chutney, which I thought complimented the flavors nicely, though Arthur found it unnecessary. You'll have to decide for yourself.

Thanks for a successful Sunday night meal, Arundathi!

Rajma

2 cans Red Kidney Beans

5-6 Spicy Green Chiles, slit lengthwise and seeded

2 Onions, diced

5-6 cloves Garlic, chopped

2" piece of Ginger, minced

3 Tomatoes, chopped

1/8 tsp Turmeric

1 tbsp Garam Masala

In a food processor, grind the ginger and garlic together with a little bit of water and set aside. Puree the tomatoes in the food processor and set aside.

Heat about 2 tbsp of oil in a saucepan. Add the onions and saute very well until browned. Add the salt, turmeric, ginger & garlic paste, and garam masala, and continue sauteing until it begins to smell fragrant (about 2-3 minutes).

Add the cooked beans with 2 cups of warm water. Keep stirring and squashing the beans a little bit. (I used a stick blender, a little too enthusiastically. I wish I'd left the beans a little less squashed.) Continue to stir until the curry thickens (about 7-8 minutes).

Here, you can add a pinch of amchur powder. (Luckily, this step is optional, because I couldn't find this spice.) Add the tomato paste and let the curry come to a boil. Lower the heat and allow to simmer for 7-8 minutes, until the curry thickens.