Pinto Curry

While on a search for a way to use up pantry items and a lot of home-grown cilantro, I ended up on a page devoted to Sri Lankan parippu (lentil) recipes.  The cuisine appears to be similar to Indian, but a bit lighter and less intense spice-wise.

In the end, I did not find exactly what I wanted in any one recipe.  I'm using those influences and a bit of Mexican flavor to create this version.  Skipping tamarind because I don't like it, and I'll list the peppers that I'm not putting in mine because of my allergy.

There is nothing wrong with using canned pintos and making this in a whopping 20 minutes, half of that waiting for the onion to soften.  I went the hard route because I have dry pintos and wanted that texture.

After about a year of making Indian/South Asian dishes, I finally realized that you can use coconut oil for the sauté fat.  Almost every recipe calls for olive oil, so it just never occurred to me.  I only have a small jar of it, for that one recipe I run across that really should use it instead of vegetable or olive oil.  Gave it a shot here.

*1 15 oz can pinto beans or 2/3 C dry
1 Tb coconut oil, olive oil, or ghee
*1/4 C tomato paste
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1 Tb curry powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp paprika
salt to taste
1 C diced onion
*1 14 oz can coconut milk
*1/2 C cilantro leaves
1 red chili or jalapeño pepper
*1 C frozen cauliflower, defrosted (optional)
*2 Tb lemon or lime juice
*rice for serving

1a: If making beans from dry, soak for 6-8 hours in water to cover by 2".  Drain, rinse, and simmer in water to cover by 1" for 1-1/2 to 2 hours.  Drain.  1b: If making from a can, drain and rinse.

2.  Start making your rice.  I used Jasmine rice, 1 C dry for 4 servings, with 2 C water.

3.  In a large saucepan or skillet, melt coconut oil over medium heat.  Add spices and tomato paste and cook until a fragrant paste, about 2 minutes.  Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is very soft, about 5-8 minutes.

4.  While the onion is cooking, cut cauliflower and pepper into small bite-sized pieces, just a little bigger than the beans.  Chop cilantro a bit.

5.  Once onions have softened, add coconut milk, pepper, cauliflower, and beans.  Bring to a simmer, then stir in cilantro.  Taste, and add salt as needed.  Finish with lemon or lime juice and serve over or alongside the rice.

Difficulty rating  π