Maahn
Whole Black Lentils and Red Kidney Beans
Pat Chapman's Curry Club Indian Restaurant Cookbook
A vegetarian meal which is packed with protein. This Punjabi delicacy is rarely, if ever, seen in Indian restaurants. It could become one of your favourites. Serve with plain rice or chupattis.
It was recognised a few years ago that red kidney beans contain toxin substances, including tannin, and in certain cases have caused quite serious illness. To remove all the toxins, you must soak the beans for 12 - 24 hours. During this time they swell to almost double size and discharge the toxins. Rinse before you cook them, in fresh water, and to be absolutely sure, boil during cooking for at least 10 minutes.
Serves
4
Ingredients
3 oz (75 g) red kidney beans
8 oz (225 g) whole urid (black) dhal
11/2 oz (40 g) fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ghee or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
salt
Spices
1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
3/4 teaspoon coriander, ground
1 teaspoon cumin ground
2 teaspoons Garam Masala
Method
Soak the red kidney beans overnight for a minimum of 12 hours.
Check through the urid dhal for grit etc, then rinse in warm water three or four times to remove dust.
Boil water, three times the volume of the lentils, then put in the lentils, beans and half the ginger. Boil for 10 minutes, then simmer for a further 20-25 minutes, stirring from time to time.
While this is going on, heat the ghee, fry the onions until golden, then add the remaining ginger and the spices.
Add this fried mix to the lentils after the 20-25 minutes of cooking, and stir well. Cook on for a further 15 minutes.
To test when ready mash a few lentils with back of spoon against the side of pan, and if soft, they're ready. salt to taste. It should not be too dry (add a little water during cooking if necessary). Stir and serve at once. (If left to stand overnight it will absorb water, so add a little more while reheating).
Recipe Testing Notes
06/06/2010 - Dominique decided to test this recipe. However, she changed it - a little!. The original recipe is quite dry and of course it contains no garlic! Used 300g of red kidney beans, and no whole back urid. Used butter ghee, home-made, and doubled all ingredients (except for the lentils), making a very saucey dish. Also added 6 garlic cloves and 4 chillies fabulous!
Find this recipe in Pat Chapman's Curry Club Indian Restaurant Cookbook
