Dhaba chicken white beans curry is a meatless version of the popular North Indian dhaba Chikin curry. The amazing cumin onion sauce works with any protein! This flavorful dish comes together in one pan in less than half an hour!

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: dinner, Main, Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian, north indian

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1" cinnamon stick
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped red onion
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (or use paprika)
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala ((or use a mix of 1/2 teaspoon each ground coriander, ground cumin, and generous pinches of cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper.)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves ((Kasuri methi))
  • 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste (or 4 cloves garlic minced, 1/2 inch ginger minced)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy yogurt (use soy-free and/or nut-free if needed, use non dairy cream like cashew or coconut cream as substitute)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup water (or vegetable stock)
  • 15 ounce can of white beans, drained, (such as butter beans, cannellini beans, or great northern beans,drained. Or 1.5 cups cooked beans. Or use cooked lentils or crisped tofu)
  • 1/4 cup frozen spinach (thawed)
  • red pepper flakes, cilantro, and cashew cream or thinned out non-dairy yogurt (for garnish)

Method

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and cook until the cumin seeds darken significantly, and get very fragrant. This can take anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes, depending on your skillet and the stove.
  2. Add in the bay leaves and cinnamon stick, and mix for a few seconds. Then, mix in the onion and the salt, and cook until the onion is golden or mostly golden, anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes. Add splashes of water in between to help the onions cook evenly and to help the conduction of heat from the pan.
  3. Mix in all of the remaining spices and continue to cook for another minute.
  4. Add the ginger garlic paste and mix in, then add in the tomato paste and non-dairy yogurt and mix in. Bring to a boil, then mix in the salt and water. Bring to a boil again, then mix in the white beans and spinach. Cover and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, then taste and adjust salt and flavor.
  5. Garnish with red pepper flakes, cilantro and a drizzle of non-dairy yogurt or other vegan cream of choice, and serve with some sourdough bread or flatbread. You can also serve this over rice or even over pasta for a fusion meal.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.