Afghan Kidney Bean Curry (Lubya)

The other day I was searching for recipes using kidney beans beyond the tried-and-true chili or three bean salad recipe and found a few recipes for Afghan Kidney Bean Curry.

I made a few changes to the recipe based on my food allergies and the ingredients available to me. The dish has a flavor profile different from that I normally cook with so it was a refreshing change!

Ingredients:

• Olive oil or coconut oil ... just enough to make things not stick
• 3 cups of kidney beans
• 1 cup of vegetable broth (I prefer low salt)
• 1/4 cup diced onion or shallot
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 can of diced tomatoes ( I used low salt)
• 1 TBSP caraway seed
• 1 tsp cumin

Instructions:

In one pan:

• Heat cumin and caraway seeds in oil for a minute or two to bring out the flavor
• Add can of tomatoes, stir, and sautee for about 5 minutes to integrate spices in tomato mixture

In a separate pan:

• Sautee onions and garlic in oil until translucent
• Add beans and broth and bring to a boil
• Reduce to simmer for 5 minutes
• Add tomato mixture from the first pan
• Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes to reduce liquid and combine flavors

Serve:

• Serve over rice ( I used brown rice)
• Many of the recipes I read suggested adding fresh mint leaves on top