Blackbean curry

Ingredients

Organic black beans, ¾ cup

Water, 2cups 

Hot water, 1/2 cup to 1cup

Salt, 1 tsp + 1 tsp

Onion, 2 nos. or 200 g

Ginger, ½ tbs

Garlic, ½ tbs 

Green chili, 2 nos.

Tomato, 1 no. or 120 g

Curry leaves, 2 strings

Vegetable oil, 3 tbs

Bay leaf, 1 no.

Cardamom, 2 nos.

Cloves, 3 nos.

Cinnamon, 1-inch piece

Spices

Turmeric powder, ½ tsp

Chili powder (Kashmiri chili), 2 tsp 

Coriander powder, 2 ½ tsp

Cumin powder, ¼ tsp

Fenugreek powder*, ¼ tsp

Garam masala, 1 tsp

Ghee, 1 tsp

Lemon juice, 1 tbs

[Optional] Pepper powder, ¼ tsp

Coriander leaves, a few

* NB: Here I used homemade powder. If you do not have any, try to buy organic seeds and dry roast until golden in colour. Once cooled, grind into a powder. Can be stored for at least three months. 

Preparation

• Wash the beans three times and soak for 6 hours.
• Wash again and cook in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water on high flame, until one whistle blows, and then on low flame until 3 whistles blow.
• Once the pressure releases, open, and check. If the beans are not soft, cook again until one or two whistles blow, depending on your pressure cooker. Add 1/2 cup of water if required.
• Heat oil in a pan, add bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, and sauté for 5 seconds over low flame.
• Add ginger and garlic, and sauté for one minute or until aromatic.
• Add onion, curry leaves, and sauté by adding one tsp salt, until light brown over a medium flame.
• Lower the flame and add spices; sauté for ten seconds.
• Add tomato puree and sauté until the oil separates.
• Add hot water, jaggery and boil for a minute.
• Add beans (with the water it was cooked in) and green chili, and cook for five minutes.
• Add salt to your taste.
• Add one tsp ghee and mix.
• Switch off the flame and sprinkle with lemon juice.
• Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Your dish is ready. Enjoy with chapatti or rice.
Thank you:)
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