Bean Curry

Beans might not feature much in Southeast Asian cooking, but when we cooked these beans in a Malaysian red curry for the first time, it felt like a cosy warm tropical blanket of a hug. There's the fragrant cumin and spices from the curry, the nuttiness from the beans, the richness from the coconut milk, which all blended so well into a perfect saucy dish!

All it takes is just some good beans cooked until they're tender, fold it through a savory Malaysian curry enriched with coconut milk and some bean broth. And you'll get one of the most heartwarming dishes to have with rice, bread, or even on tacos!

bean-curry

Singaporean Laksa

SERVES TIME

2 - 3 ~3 hours (stovetop) or 1 hour (instant pot) | Prep Time: 15 mins

INGREDIENTS

For the beans:

1 lb beans - use beans suitable for stewing such as black beans, kidney beans or pinto beans (we used Primary Beans’s Ayocote Morado)
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt

For the sauce:

1 Homiah Malaysian Red Curry Kit or Indonesian Rendang Kit (there are 2 kits per pouch)
1 white onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup (180ml) coconut milk
Juice of 1/2 a calamansi lime, or key lime
1 stalk cilantro, leaves picked

METHOD

Combine the beans, garlic, bay leaves, olive oil, and salt in a large pot. Cover with water and cook for 2-3 hours on the stovetop, or 45 minutes plus 10 minutes of natural release in a pressure cooker. (More information on the Primary Beans cooking guide.) When done, reserve 1/2 a cup of the bean broth, drain the beans out of the pot and rinse under cold water.
Pour the Homiah Malaysian Red Curry Kit into a large sauté pan and place over medium heat. Add the diced onion to the pan and cook for 5 minutes until translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Finally, add in the beans, coconut milk, and 1/4 cup of the bean broth. Bring this to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes, until thick and saucy. (If the curry is looking dry and in danger of burning on the bottom, add a few more tablespoons of the reserved bean broth.)
When done, squeeze the lime juice into the curry, mix well, then season to taste with salt. Transfer the curry into a bowl, garnish with a blizzard of cilantro, and serve hot. The curry is best with bread, roti, or rice, but is also great on its own.

SHOP INGREDIENTS