Healthy Vegan - Butter Beans and Kale Curried Turmeric Rice

June 09, 2009

This yellow turmeric infused rice with butter beans is inspired by a family Pilau - Savoury Rice recipe. I make a variation of this rice dish with whatever is in season or what I have to hand every other month.

As we are going away for a long weekend to my mother in laws, we have been raiding the fridge and vegetable basket, so there was not much in the way of fresh ingredients, other than some curly kale which I wish was from the garden. I always have some dried beans, lentils and pulses so decided to make this dish last night when I put some butter beans to soak overnight.

For ease, yes I admit I will sometimes opt for tinned beans and pulses such as kidney beans, sometimes chickpeas and pinto beans. But there are some beans that I will never ever buy tinned and would prefer cooking them from scratch. Butter beans is one of those that I like soaking and simmering from scratch, as the ones from the tinned are awful and sometimes a congealed mess. I would like to cook all my beans from scratch as it is cheaper and better in flavour, but sometimes time is not on my side.

Today I was off work, so had time to potter in the kitchen a little, though I must admit most of the day has been of pure laziness, which I feel a little guilty about as I could have been doing some weeding and digging in the garden. The weather has been moderately dry, but I am hoping to do that next week when I have a few extra hands around. Lets hope.

Serve with a squeeze of lemon or lime and a good dollop of natural yogurt, Greek Yogurt or vegan Coconut yogurt. Although this particular recipe is not inherited, it is adapted and based on a inherited Savoury Pilau Rice family recipe. I am sharing this with Inheritance Recipes challenge co hosted by Solange at Pebble Soup and Coffee and Vanilla.

Butter Bean and Kale Curried Turmeric Rice

Serves 4 - 6 with accompaniments

Ingredients

180grams dry butter beans, soaked overnight. then cooked the following day according to packet instructions. Drain and set aside OR 1 x 400grams tin Butter Beans, drained and rinsed.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or butter)

1 medium onion, finely sliced

Optional: Cassia bark*

Optional: Black Cardamon*

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground coriander

6 whole cloves

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 -2 fresh green chillies, sliced

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

185g or 1 cup of Basmati rice, washed and drained

100grams curly kales, stripped from the stalks and washed

450ml or 2 cups water

Method

Heat oil in a pan with a tight fitting lid.

Add the onion and saute until really really soft.

Then stir in all the spices and turmeric powder, sliced green chillies and cook for a few minutes until the oniony mixture is coated in the spices.

Stir in the butter beans.

Then carefully stir in the rice, dry fry for a couple of minutes, before stirring in the kale and pouring over the water. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat to medium and put the lid on and cook on low heat for 25 – 30 minutes undisturbed.

Taste seasoning and tweak if necessary, before stirring the rice well before serving.
And remove the cassia bark and black cardamon from the pot if it bothers you to serve it.