A hearty potato Adzuki Bean Curry with a burst of Indian spices and flavors.

Adzuki beans are a recent addition to my pantry. I have been experimenting with this fantastic little legume and finding that it works well in most recipes where you would normally use rajma (red kidney beans) or kala chana (darker, smaller Indian variety of chickpeas).

We make potato kala chana curry much the same way as in this recipe. The taste with adzuki beans in milder, the texture softer in comparison. Happy with the result! I’m going to keep coming back to this recipe of Potato Adzuki Bean curry.

You Need:

• Potatoes – 2 medium
• Adzuki beans – 3/4 cup
• Tomatoes – 2 medium
• Onions – 2 medium
• Ginger – 1/2 inch stick
• Garlic – 4 cloves
• Green chilies – 2 (adjust to taste)
• Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
• Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon
• Red chili flakes/powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
• Bay leaves – 1 or 2
• Kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves) – 2 teaspoons, crushed
• Oil – 1/2 tablespoon

How To Make Potato Adzuki Bean Curry:

1. Boil the adzuki beans

Wash and soak the adzuki beans in 3 cups of salted water overnight (or for 7-8 hours).

Drain and rinse. Place the soaked adzuki beans in salted water, along with bay leaves, in a pan or pressure cooker.

Boil till adzuki beans are soft to bite but retain their shape: about 15 minutes in a pressure cooker or 30 minutes in a covered, thick-bottomed pan.

When done, keep aside. [Do not discard the water the adzuki bean is cooked in – this will be used as stock for the curry.]

2. Prep the vegetables

Peel and chop potatoes into 2-cm chunks. With a toothpick or fork, prick 3-4 holes into each potato chunk – this will help the potatoes cook faster and absorb the spices better.

Tip: If there is some wait time between chopping and cooking, the potatoes might discolor.  To ensure there is no discoloration, immerse the potato chunks in cold salted water till you are ready to cook them.

Peel and grind onions and green chilies together.

Peel ginger and garlic, slice them. Using a mortal and pestle, crush the ginger and garlic coarsely to release their juices.

Quarter the tomatoes and put them in the food processor. Puree.

3. Cook!

In a thick-bottomed pan, heat oil.

When the oil is hot, add the ground onion-green chili paste. Stir for a minute, then add crushed ginger and garlic and continue to cook.

Sauté till the onions take on a golden hue.

Add the dry spice powders: turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder. Cook for two minutes on low heat, stirring regularly.

By this time, the spices would have blended well with the sautéed onions and turned a darker shade.

Add the tomato puree, salt [careful here – adzuki beans have been cooked with salt too] and stir together. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes, or till the color deepens and the whole mixture starts to make small bubbles on the surface.

Add the chopped potatoes to the pan, turn them around to cloak them with the cooking spices.

Keep a lid over the pan and let the potatoes cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, or till almost done.

To test if the potatoes are almost done, try sliding a toothpick/fork into a potato chunk. The toothpick/fork should pierce the potato without having to use too much pressure.

At this stage, pour the cooked adzuki beans, along with the water used for cooking, into the potato pan.

Stir well, adjust salt. Add red chili flakes/powder. Add some more water if needed to thin out the curry.

Cook potato adzuki bean curry covered for another 6-7 minutes, or till the potatoes are well done.

To Serve:

Discard the bay leaves. Crush some kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves) [I do this using my hands – love the feeling!] and sprinkle over the potato adzuki bean curry.

More garnish ideas: fresh coriander leaves, roasted cumin powder, finely chopped green chilies.

Serve potato adzuki bean curry hot, along with rice or Indian breads.

Tip: Make enough for two meals – the second meal, after the flavors have fused together for a few hours, tastes even more delicious.

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