Our Butter Bean Curry is all about rich flavors and cozy vibes. This hearty curry is satisfyingly creamy and absolutely delicious. We discovered a totally new way to cook with Butter beans that we hope you enjoy, too. Oh, and it's vegan and gluten-free!
Even if this bean curry is technically not a one-pot meal, it feels like it. It's hearty, easy to prepare, tasty, and also, nutritious. We came out with this recipe after getting a jar of the best quality butter beans, lime beans, or large beans, as I call them, and I wanted to come up with something my kids would also eat.
This Butter Bean Curry can be made using mostly pantry ingredients that we already have at home. The cooking method is really simple, and the recipe comes together in about 30 minutes. As the sauce will be blended, we roughly chop the ingredients, making it faster to prepare.
I normally buy regular white beans to make hearty soups like this white bean soup or dips, but lime beans are not an ingredient that makes it to my shopping list often; that was until I came up with this recipe that is now made almost every second week at home.
About the creamy part, as much as we like coconut milk, we purely love our cashew cream for curries, which is another way of adding plant-based protein to the dish. Soaking cashews for a few minutes and blending them with water and a pinch of salt results in a delicious plant-based cream that gives your dishes a creamy texture with a mouth-watering nutty flavor.
Our Butter Beans Curry is:
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Family-friendly
- A comfort meal perfect for winter
Ingredients
Butter beans. Butter beans or lima beans can be found dry or canned. For this recipe, we use canned butter beans as it makes the whole cooking process much easier and faster. You can find them in regular supermarkets, in the legumes section. Alternatively, you can make this dish using regular white beans, garbanzo beans, or another type of legume of your choice.
Cashews. You'll need pre-soaked cashews to make the cream for this bean curry. Leave the cashews soaking for 30 minutes in hot water before you blend them with cold water to make the cream. For this part, you need unsalted and raw cashews.
Onion, ginger, and garlic. These three ingredients make the perfect base to start many Indian-style dishes. For the garlic and ginger, we use a press to make a paste so the ingredients are combined better into the sauce. You can use any type of onion you have, but ideally, we recommend using yellow onion or shallots. If you don't have fresh ginger or garlic, you can use ginger or garlic powder.
Spice blend. For our butter bean curry, we use Garam Masala, turmeric powder, ground cumin or cumin seeds, ground coriander or coriander seeds, curry powder, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper. If you want to add a little kick, you can add some chili powder as well. If you don't have many spices at home, and you have to buy just for this recipe, we recommend getting Garam Masala.
Fresh tomatoes. As much as we can, we like using fresh tomatoes from our garden or farm markets. Otherwise, we use passata. We also like adding tomato paste to enhance the flavor.
Vegetable stock. For vegetable stock, we use a gluten-free brand. To reduce the amount of salt in this recipe, you can simply use water instead.
Cooking Method
Leave the cashews soaking in hot water while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Heat some olive oil or coconut oil in a non-stick pan or pot, or a large saucepan to medium heat. Add chopped onion and leave cooking for a couple of minutes. Then, add pressed or finely chopped ginger and garlic, stir, and add the spices.
When fragrant, add the fresh tomatoes roughly chopped, cook for a couple of minutes, and add the vegetable stock. Leave simmering for about 12 minutes.
Drain the cashews, and add into a blender jug. Transfer the sauce to the same jug and blend together until the sauce is smooth and has no lumps.
If you are using canned beans, put them in a colander to remove the aquafava and rinse them with fresh water. Pour the blended sauce into the pot, add the butter beans, and optionally, add some sweetener such as maple syrup or sugar. Combine.
Adjust with salt and pepper, garnish with sesame seeds and freshly chopped coriander, and your curry will be ready to be served and enjoyed.
Butter Bean Curry
Ingredients
- 5 oz cashews
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 thumb-size ginger piece
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon curry
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1 ¼ cup vegetable stock
- 14 oz butter beans
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Leave the cashews soaking in hot water while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.5 oz cashews
- Heat some vegetable oil in a non-stick pan or pot to medium heat. Add chopped onion and leave cooking for a couple of minutes.1 yellow onion
- Add pressed or finely chopped ginger and garlic, stir, and add the spices.1 thumb-size ginger piece, 1-2 garlic cloves, 2 teaspoon garam masala, ¼ teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon curry, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- When fragrant, add the fresh tomatoes roughly chopped, cook for a couple of minutes. At this point, also add the tomato paste.2 tomatoes, 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- Add the vegetable stock and leave simmering for about 12 minutes.1 ¼ cup vegetable stock
- Drain the cashews, and add into a blender jug. Transfer the sauce to the same jug and blend together until the sauce is smooth and has no lumps.
- If you are using canned beans, put them through a colander to remove the aquafava and rinse with fresh water.
- Pour the blended sauce into the pot, and add the butter beans. Combine.14 oz butter beans
- Adjust with salt, pepper, and optionally some sweetener such as maple syrup or sugar, and your curry will be ready to be served and enjoyed.Salt and pepper to taste
Notes
Newsletter
Nutrition
Variations to our Butter Bean Curry Recipe
- Add veggies to the curry. We kept the recipe simple and easy to twist to your taste. You can, of course, add other veggies such as sweet potato, red pepper, green pepper, mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, peas, green beans, etc. You can add them to the tomatoes and let them cook for a few minutes.
- Use another protein. Butter beans are the main protein for this recipe, but you can use other legumes such as garbanzo beans, lentils, and white beans, or even use another type of plant-based protein such as tofu, tempeh, or seitan.
- Use another type of plant-based cream. Cashew cream is the one we use for this recipe. Other plant-based options are coconut milk, soy cream, oat milk or cream, silken tofu, etc.
Serving Suggestions
This hearty and delicious bean curry is a perfect weeknight dinner. It's nutritious, easy to make, and great for the whole family. When it comes to serving Butter Bean Curry, there are a variety of options to choose from. Here are a few suggestions that we especially loved combining with this curry:
Garnish
Garnish the curry with freshly chopped coriander leaves, a squeeze of lime juice or fresh lemon juice, and some sesame seeds. If you enjoy spicy food, you can add some chili paste or chili oil.
Rice and Naan Bread
One classic way to serve this comforting dish is with a side of rice and naan bread. Basmati rice is the type of rice we normally use when cooking Indian-style curries, but you can choose to use any other type of long-grain rice. If you are serving this dish for a hungry crowd, you can add some veggies and protein to the rice and make a delicious Tawa Pulao.
Naan bread is a traditional Indian flatbread that is perfect for soaking up the curry sauce. If you buy it already made, heat it up in the oven or on a skillet and serve it hot. You can also make your own Vegan Naan by following this recipe from Rainbow Plant Life.
Pickles and Chutneys
Another way to add some flavor and texture to your Butter Bean Curry is to serve it with pickles and chutneys. Garlic and mango pickles are our all-time favorites. You can also try adding some lime or lemon pickles for a sour kick.
Papadoms
Papadoms are the perfect side dish for scooping up the curry or using it to dip in your chutneys. You can find them at most Indian grocery stores and they just take a few seconds to cook in the microwave.
Appetizers to go with this Vegan Bean Curry
If you are looking for some appetizers to serve with this Bean Curry, you should try our Onion Bhaji or this spicy Cauliflower Manchurian.
Store and Reheat
This is one of the meals that taste even better on the second day, so don't worry if you have some leftovers.
Store the Butter Bean Curry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, simply transfer it to a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Alternatively, you can reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Add a splash of water or vegetable broth if it seems too thick.
FAQ and Tips
Butter beans and lima beans are often used interchangeably, but there is a slight difference between the two. Butter beans are a type of lima bean that is larger and flatter than the traditional lima bean. They have a creamy texture and are slightly sweet in flavor. Lima beans, on the other hand, are smaller and rounder than butter beans. They have a starchy texture and a slightly earthy flavor.
Yes, you can make this butter bean curry ahead of time. In fact, it is a great dish to make in advance as the flavors will continue to develop over time. Simply store the curry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you are ready to serve, reheat the curry on the stovetop over low heat until it is warmed through.
For this recipe, we use canned butter beans or lime beans, but this recipe can be made as well using dried beans. Leave the dry butter beans soaking in water overnight and then cook them in fresh water until fork tender. You will need to adjust the amount of butter beans from our recipe card.
Other plant-based options to get your curry creamy are coconut milk, soy cream, oat milk or cream, or silken tofu. This last option we use in recipes such as this spinach pasta sauce, and it makes the sauce light and creamy.
Marie says
I have no clue what I did wrong. :'( The curry turned out incredibly thick, not at all like in the picture. It kinda came out looking like pudding instead of the brothy curry I was expecting. I'll give it another shot, as the flavor was pleasant.
Laura Arteaga says
Hi Marie, next time just add more vegetable stock, or coconut milk. I hope it turns out perfect next time!
Jackie van der Meer-Cairncross says
So delicious and so full of flavour. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
Laura Arteaga says
Thank you Jackie, glad you enjoyed the curry 🙂
Robin says
I would like to use coconut milk instead of cashews. How much coconut milk should I use?
Laura Arteaga says
You can reduce the amount of veg.stock to 1/2 cup, and add 3/4 coconut milk. You can always decided to add more or less depending on how you like your curry, more like a curry soup, or with a thicker consistency.