Work top to bottom — prep ahead while timers run
Gather everything first, then follow the steps
Protein· 1
- 180 g red kidney beans (canned, drained & rinsed)180g
Vegetables· 4
- 55 g onion (finely chopped)55g
- 70 g tomato (diced)70g
- 8 g garlic (minced)8g
- 6 g ginger (minced)6g
Sauces· 1
- 15 g tomato purée (1 tbsp)15g
Spices· 4
- 4 g curry powder (1 tsp)(staple)4g
- 1 g cumin (¼ tsp)(staple)1g
- 1 g chili powder (¼ tsp)(staple)1g
- pinch of salt(staple)2g
Fats & oils· 1
- 5 g cooking oil (1 tsp)5g
Heat 1 tsp oil and sauté the garlic, ginger and onion over medium heat for ~3 min until soft and lightly golden, then add the curry powder, cumin and chili powder and fry 30 sec.
Why? Cooking the onion to a light gold draws out its natural sweetness, the source of this dish's rich base — building flavour from well-cooked onion is smarter and lighter than leaning on cream.Tip: The finer you chop the onion, the smoother the gravy once it breaks down.
Next up:Add the diced tomato and tomato purée and cook 3 min until the tomato collapses into a thick sauce and the oil turns red.
Add the diced tomato and tomato purée and cook 3 min until the tomato collapses into a thick sauce and the oil turns red.
Why? Fresh tomato plus purée concentrate into just the right tangy richness that the original builds with butter and cream — but without the load of saturated fat.Watch out: Tomato purée has sugar and catches easily — splash in a tablespoon or two of water if it dries, and don't let it scorch.Next up:Stir in the drained kidney beans with about 120 ml water, mash roughly a fifth of the beans against the pot, and simmer 6 min until thick; taste and adjust the salt.
Stir in the drained kidney beans with about 120 ml water, mash roughly a fifth of the beans against the pot, and simmer 6 min until thick; taste and adjust the salt.
Why? The mashed beans release starch into the gravy, thickening it to a creamy body naturally — that's the trick to a silky curry with no cream; 180 g canned kidney beans give a serving around 16 g protein and 13 g fibre.Tip: Serve over half a bowl of brown or basmati rice with a scatter of coriander for a comforting meal.