Kidney Bean Coconut Curry – Indian Kidney Beans Curry

Kidney Bean Coconut Curry – Rajma Chawal

This kidney bean coconut curry is healthy nutritious comfort food in a bowl. Spiced with delicate Indian spices and rich coconut cream. These Indian kidney beans also known as rajma chawal can be made with canned or pre-cooked or frozen kidney beans.  Rich, creamy and delicious this recipe takes less than 15 minutes. Serve it over steamed rice or with some crusty fresh baguette.

How did you celebrate Valentine’s Day yesterday? Ziv and I went out for breakfast to a new restaurant. But it’s really wasn’t specific to Valentine’s Day per se. As a couple, we often spend mornings together by going out for breakfast rather than dinner.  Dinner becomes really cumbersome for us because we have to find a baby sitter for the kids and not all of them are comfortable babysitting a child with special needs. Both the kids are in school in the morning which makes going for breakfast a lot more simple and easy for us. We go out for breakfast so we can spend the morning together. So this was no different and confirms to my belief that  “if you spend your life with the right person, Valentine’s Day is just another day!’ Don’t you agree?

Have you ever heard the Indian dish Rajma Chawal?

If you’ve been to a north Indian restaurant then this is often one of the dishes on the menu. ‘Rajma’ meals kidney bean and ‘chawal’ means rice. A north Indian classic dish called Rajma chawal. Very delicious, creamy, hearty and wholesome.

If you ever get invited to dinner by a north Indian, they probably make rajma as one of the dishes. That’s how popular and proud they are about this dish. Rightly so. The original recipe has a lot more spices like nutmeg, dry mango powder, pomegranate seeds, mace, etc which is why you will find a special rajma spice mix in most Indian shop.

Recently I’ve been trying to add more lentils, legumes, beans and such in our diet and the kid’s seam to really warm up to kidney beans nicely. They love this kidney bean coconut curry which is creamy and mildly spiced with a sprinkle of fresh herbs. Aadi loves it over steamed white rice and I especially love it with my steamed cauliflower rice.

Did you know that the kidney bean is the most popular among all beans?

Well, they are not just popular but also very nutritious and one of the world’s healthiest foods whether you eat them out of a can or bulk bin which is one of the reasons I try so hard to get my kids into the habit of eating them often. Not to mention Ziv has issues with high cholesterol and kidney bean is a good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber for him. So I make things like my Kidney Bean Patties or add kidney bean to salads. This curry is the most favored in our home and often eaten like soup for dinner with bread to soak up all that creamy sauce.

As a kid I grew up eating lots of beans, lentils and such dry produce; not because they were healthy but because they were most affordable for my mom. As a single mom, she really struggled with work and home both financially and time.  Buying meat often or expensive grocery was not always a luxury. Back then she didn’t buy canned goods either so it was the plain and simple method of soaking the beans overnight and then cook them in the morning. Planning was key for moms back in those days. We on the other today, are so lucky that we have so many options of canned, frozen or fresh. Right?

Let’s talk ingredients and Substitutes (save/pin)

• Kidney bean – You can use canned kidney bean. I used dried kidney beans that were cooked in a slow cooker overnight without any soaking time required. This is so efficient and effective because it’s so much cheaper. I buy a big batch of kidney beans – rinse them and add 4 times the amount of water. Set the slow cooker on low for a good 8 to 10 hours or until they are soft and tender.
  Tip- add 2 tea bags to the beans when cooking them. I do believe they cook faster and add deeper color to the beans. My mom did it so I do it.
• Coconut Cream – Cream or coconut milk both work for this curry and of course use fresh coconut if it’s available. Canned coconut becomes easy to have on hand. The thickness of the curry will depend on the coconut cream or milk you use.
• Curry Powder – This is a blend of Indian spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, and paprika. It is readily available in most supermarkets these days. They come as spicy, mild, or not spicy. Choose one that works for you. I make my own homemade curry powder which is very easy. If you like making homemade spice mixes then you probably already have some of these in your pantry.
• Paprika – I love adding smoked sweet paprika in addition to curry powder because I love when a curry has a deep rich color that says come eat me. If you like spicy food go ahead and switch the sweet paprika to hot paprika or try cayenne for a more spicy curry. I have to keep it mild because my kids can’t handle too spicy.
• Fresh herbs – A must-have in all curries – these are not only used as a garnish but also as flavor. With Indian food, cilantro is the way to go.

Useful Tips and Tools

• A Saute Pan is all you need to cook these beans.
• A Knifeand Chopping board to chop veggies
• You can use a wooden spoon or Spatula. I perfect metalor silicone spatula as strong tandoori and turmeric can dye your wooden spoons.
• Unless you are comfortable and sure about quantities it is best to use Measuring spoons. That way you know you are accurate with the recipe.

How to Make Kidney Bean Coconut Curry – Indian Kidney Beans Curry (Save/Pin) 

• Saute chopped onions in oil until translucent – about 3 minutes
• Add garlic and ginger – cook for a minute more.
• Then add curry powder, paprika, and tomatoes – combine well on medium-low heat
• Use a splash of water (3 tbsp) to cook the spices until fragrant – about 3 minutes.
• Then add the canned or cooked kidney bean
• Followed by the coconut cream
• Season with salt and pepper – stir well to combine
• Let come to a boil and simmer for two minutes more.
• Add Cilantro and lemon juice.
• Taste and adjust seasoning
• Serve over steamed white rice or some crusty bread.
• Enjoy!

What do you serve with this Kidney Beans Curry?

Traditionally this dish is always served with steamed white rice as you can see in the pictures below. Often I will also just eat this with nice crusty bread. If you’re in a mood to cook Indian, the options for Indian bread are so many. From simple chapati to exotic butter naan as well as vegetable or prawn rice. 

Of course, when I’m in the mood for a low carb diet then I usually serve this over my cauliflower rice, turmeric rice or mustard dill cauliflower rice.

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Frequently asked questions

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Kidney Bean Coconut Curry – Indian Kidney Beans Curry

Author: Veena Azmanov

4.9 from 19 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 2 mins

Cook Time: 13 mins

Total Time: 15 mins

Calories: 211kcal

Adjust Servings Here: 4 servings

Description

This kidney bean coconut curry is healthy nutritious comfort food in a bowl. Spiced with delicate Indian spices and rich coconut cream. These Indian kidney beans also know as rajma chawal can be made with canned or pre-cooked or frozen kidney beans.  Rich, creamy and delicious this recipe takes less than 15 minutes. Serve it over steamed rice or with some bread.

Ingredients

• 1 can (1 can) Kidney Bean (16 oz or 2 cups)
• 1 cup (1 cup) Onion 1 large chopped
• 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Garlic
• 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Ginger
• 1 cup (1 cup) Tomatoes (1 large chopped)
• 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Cooking Oil
• 3 tbsp (3 tbsp) Curry Powder
• 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Sweet Paprika
• 120 ml (0.5 cup) Coconut Cream
• 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Lemon Juice
• 1/2 cup (0.5 cup) Fresh Herbs (cilantro/parsley/dill)
• 1 tsp (1 tsp) Salt
• 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) Pepper

ADJUST SERVINGS HERE – 4 servings

Instructions

• Saute chopped onions in oil until translucent – about 3 minutes
• Add garlic and ginger – cook for a minute more.
• Then add curry powder, paprika, and tomatoes – combine well on medium-low heat
• Use a splash of water (3 tbsp) to cook the spices until fragrant – about 3 minutes.
• Then add the canned or cooked kidney bean
• Followed by the coconut cream
• Season with salt and pepper – stir well to combine
• Let come to a boil and simmer for two minutes more.
• Add Cilantro and lemon juice.
• Taste and adjust seasoning
• Serve over steamed white rice or some crusty bread.
• Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Featured recipe below  – Black Beans Coconut Curry 

 

Recipe Video

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Equipment

Skillet

Cutting boards

Kitchen Knife

Spatula

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Kidney Bean Coconut Curry – Indian Kidney Beans Curry

Amount Per Serving

Calories 211 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 10g50%

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg0%

Sodium 594mg25%

Potassium 0mg0%

Carbohydrates 12g4%

Fiber 5g20%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 0IU0%

Vitamin C 0mg0%

Calcium 0mg0%

Iron 0mg0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you

Keywords – coconut, curry, Indian curry, Kidney Bean Coconut Curry, kidney beans, Kidney Beans Curry

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