I’m always down for a good takeout remake, particularly when Indian food is involved. My go-to substitute for meat or paneer in a curry is usually tofu (like in this tofu jalfrezi), but this tikka curry swaps in butter beans instead.
Butter beans?! Yes! If you’re not familiar, you probably know them by their other name: lima beans. They can be eaten when they’re young and green, as served in succotash, or when they’re more mature. There’s quite a difference in taste, so if you’ve had green lima beans and you’re not a fan, don’t hesitate to try butter beans in their mature, white form.
This Butter Bean Tikka Curry is creamy, fragrant, and filling, thanks to the fiber and protein in the beans. Round things out with a side of naan for soaking up the sauce or serve the curry over basmati rice.
The recipe is from Sasha Gill’s East Meets Vegan, a cookbook full of plant-based Asian-inspired meal ideas. While the Indian chapter contains this and other curries, you’ll also find sections on recipes from China, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and Thailand. (Seriously, who needs takeout when you have this cookbook?! You can make all your faves at home–and make them without meat, dairy or eggs!)
If the saying is true that we eat with our eyes first, you’ll be full after thumbing through this book because the pictures are gorgeous. I’m planning on making a batch of the Onigiri for my daughter’s school lunches this week and I’ve also got the Mapo Tofu and Tempeh Rendang on my list to make soon.
Grab the Butter Bean Tikka Curry recipe below and purchase East Meets Vegan: The Best of Asian Home Cooking, Plant-Based and Delicious by Sasha Gill on Amazon.
Butter Bean Tikka Curry
Recipe from East Meets Vegan: The Best of Asian Home Cooking, Plant-Based and Delicious © Sasha Gill, 2019. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold. experimentpublishing.com
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup 70 g vegan yogurt
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 inch 2.5 cm ginger, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 15-ounce (425 g) cans butter beans, drained
Tikka Curry
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 large white onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 inches 5 cm ginger, finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 large tomatoes chopped, or 1 cup (250 ml) tomato passata
- 1/4 cup 25 g chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup 70 g vegan yogurt
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon rice syrup
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Naan breads or rice to serve
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, garlic, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, chili powder and salt. Add the butter beans and stir to coat well, then transfer onto a baking sheet and bake for 15–17 minutes, until the beans start to look dry and a bit crisper.
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Meanwhile, for the tikka curry, heat the oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Fry the onion, garlic and ginger for about 2 minutes, until fragrant and the onions have softened. Add the bay leaf and spices and fry for another minute until aromatic. Next, add the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and cilantro, then cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the beans when they’re ready, along with the yogurt, syrup and lemon juice. Bring back to a boil, then remove from the heat.
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Serve warm, with naan breads or rice.