Many people consider Lima Beans (also known as butter beans) boring, but here’s a way to make Lima Beans Curry that will spruce up this usually ignored vegetable. When combined with whole grains such as rice, lima beans provide virtually fat-free high quality protein and a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber.
Ingredients:
Frozen Lima Beans – 16oz packet (washed)
Oil – 4 tsp
Cumin Seeds – ½ tsp
Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
Asofoetida (Hing) – pinch
Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
Onion – 1 small (chopped finely)
Green Chili – 1 (finely chopped – optional)
Ginger – 1 tsp (finely grated)
Garlic – 3 cloves (finely chopped)
Tomato Sauce – 8oz can
Red Chili Powder – ¼ tsp (to taste)
Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Cumin Powder – ½ tsp
Salt – 1 tsp (to taste)
Water – 1 cup
Cilantro Leaves – 5 sprigs (chopped for garnishing)
Method:
- Heat Oil in a pressure cooker or pressure pan on medium heat.
- Once Oil is hot, add Cumin Seeds and Mustard Seeds and allow them to sputter.
- Add Asofoetida and Turmeric Powder, then the Onions, Green Chili, Ginger and Garlic.
- Cook until Onions are light brown.
- Stir in Tomato Sauce and cook until oil starts to separate.
- Add Red Chili Powder, Coriander Powder, Garam Masala, Cumin Powder, and Salt. Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Mix in Lima Beans and Water.
- Pressure cook for 1 whistle and turn off heat.
- Once pressure is gone from the cooker, remove lid and adjust water, salt or other masalas.
- Garnish with Cilantro and serve with Rice or Chapattis.
- Serves 3-4.
Tips:
- If you don’t have a pressure cooker, Lima Beans can be cooked in a microwave with ½ cup of water, salt and turmeric powder. Prepare the Onion and Tomato Sauce mixture in a separate non-stick pan and mix in cooked Lima Beans.
- For those of you who enjoy a tangier flavor, Lime/Lemon Juice can also be added at the end.
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January 9th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Hi Anuja and Hetal !
And i love to have beans with naans or Parathas. This curry is a very good idea amd i’m sure gonna try it. Thnx for sharing..
How did you guys celebrate Christimas? and How are you doing? How were ur holidays?
Well, i love lima beans, dont find them boring at all !
April 12th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Hey,
Thanks for sharing. One question: Do we need to soak lima beans overnight?
Sanjuktaa.
April 17th, 2008 at 4:14 am
Sanjuktaa,
The lima beans we have used can be bought at any grocery store in the frozen vegetables section. They come frozen and do not need to be soaked at all. We just rinse the lima beans to be on the safe side.
July 15th, 2008 at 12:33 am
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
Thanks for the wonderful recipe. I am going to try it.
Do I have to use tomato sauce? Instead can I puree raw tomatoes and use it?
Thanks,
Pavithra
July 15th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Hi Pavithra,
You can definitely use fresh tomatoes. We use tomato sauce because lima beans tend to lose color as you cook them and tomato sauce seems to retain it’s bright red color even after cooking. Fresh tomatoes will taste just fine. You may want to add some fresh lime juice or amchoor powder if the tomatoes are not tangy enough.
July 27th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
hello,
Thanks for the recipe. I used a 16 oz can of tomato sauce. I added 1 tsp of tamarind paste at the end. it came out good.
- KB
August 10th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
Thanks for your reply Hetal!
I finally made this one using tomatoe sauce :-). It came out very good and very tasty. My 3 year old enjoyed it and it was a nice way to get the proteins in.
The only small mistake I made was I added a little too much tomatoe sauce as I was trying this with one cup lima beans. So I should have appropriately cut down on the sauce. Anyways, I will be making it again with the corret proportion.
thanks,
Pavithra
September 2nd, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Hi,
Can I get lima beans in American grocery store?
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Hi Bhavika,
Yes, Lima beans can be bought at any American grocery store. We have used frozen ones so look for them in the frozen vegetables section.