Nigel Slater, Beans with tomato, coriander and coconut milk
There is no real reason why you shouldn't use any beans you wish here. Chickpeas will work well, too. If you have canned beans you wish to use instead, then you will need three 400g cans. Serves 4 to 6 with rice.
400g dried haricot beans
2 medium-sized onions
2 tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil
3 cloves of garlic
8 green cardamoms
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp yellow mustard seed
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp ground turmeric
3 small hot chillies
2 x 400g cans chopped plum tomatoes
a pinch of sugar
250ml coconut milk
a large handful of fresh coriander
the juice of 2 limes
Soak the beans in cold water overnight. The next day, boil them till tender in deep, unsalted water. (I used black-eyed beans, and they were tender in 40 minutes.) Drain and set aside. If you are using canned beans, rinse them under cold running water.
Peel the onions, cut them in half, and slice them thinly. Add them to the oil in a large, deep pan and let them soften, colouring lightly, over a moderate heat. Peel, chop and add the garlic.
Meanwhile, crack the cardamom seeds open and extract the tiny seeds. Crush these coarsely using a pestle and mortar or a very heavy rolling pin, then stir them into the softening onions. Crush the coriander seeds and then the mustard and add them to the onions with the whole cumin seeds, ground turmeric, a generous seasoning of salt, and black pepper. Leave these as they cook, stirring regularly, for at least 5 minutes, so that the spices toast in the heat.
Meanwhile, seed and finely chop the chillies and add, with the chopped tomatoes, 400ml of water and a pinch of sugar, followed by the cooked beans.
Leave to simmer gently over a low heat, with the occasional stir, partially covered with a lid, for about 35-40 minutes. Mix the coconut milk into the sauce, simmer for further 5 minutes, then add the coriander leaves and the juice of the limes.