Mixed Bean Dal Curry, made with SN1

A quietly nourishing spice curry with the plain, honest flavour of beans 🍛.

SPICE CURRY SPICE PACK (Spice Curry Spice Pack Symphony No.1 / SN1) — a mixed bean dal curry.

Dal curry appears on almost every curry house menu. Dal (or daal) is Hindi for pulses or split pulses, and a dal curry is simply a curry of beans. This recipe uses tinned or pouched mixed beans — easy to find in any supermarket, and easy to cook with. The usual tinned or pouched mixed beans are fine.

To taste the ingredients as they are, it is seasoned with salt alone.

Ingredients (serves 4)　　

• SN1 / starter spices (the whole-spice sachet): 1 sachet
• SN1 / powder spices (the ground-spice sachet): 1 sachet
• Onion: 1/2 (half an onion)
• Garlic: 2 tsp (about 1–2 cloves)
• Ginger: 2 tsp
• Mixed beans: about 100–120g
• Tomato: 1
• Potato: 1
• Water: 250ml
• Salt: 1 tsp
• Light sesame oil: 3 tbsp (use whichever oil you like)
  
  
  

Preparation

• Cut the potato and the tomato into 1cm dice.
• Chop the onion finely.

Method

1. Pour the oil into a pan, add the “starter spices (the whole-spice sachet)”, then turn on a low heat.
   
   
2. When the mustard seeds start to crackle, add the grated “garlic and ginger” and stir them through the spices. Keep stirring for about 30 seconds.
   
   
3. Add the “onion”, stir it in, then turn the heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes, until it is a good golden brown.
   
   

   If it looks as though it might catch, add a splash of water and keep cooking gently. In this recipe in particular, add a splash of water often and keep a little moisture in the base of the pan all the way through to the finish — that is the point.

   
   
   
4. Add the “potato” and fry for about 3 minutes.
   
   
5. Turn the heat down low, add all of the “powder spices” and the “salt”, and fry them in.
   
   
6. Once the spices have cooked, add the “tomato” and the “mixed beans”, fry briefly, then add the “water: 250ml”. Bring it to the boil, put a lid on the pan and simmer for about 5 minutes.
   
   
7. Check how soft the beans are, adjust the salt and it is done.
   
   
8. Top with coriander, parsley or coarse black pepper, as you like. The plate shown here is finished with kaiware daikon (daikon radish sprouts), for a peppery note.

Inspice spice curry spice sets contain none of the usual sources of heat — chilli, cayenne pepper or chilli powder — so please add heat to your own taste.