Name: Dhaba Chicken White Beans (North Indian Cumin Onion Sauce Bean Curry)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 3
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)

Warm, richly spiced, and built for a satisfying meal, Dhaba Chicken White Beans (North Indian Cumin Onion Sauce Bean Curry) is a non-vegetarian Indian, north indian dinner, main, main course made with oil, cumin seeds, and bay leaves in about 25 minutes. The recipe lays out the ingredients and each cooking step clearly, so you can adjust seasoning, texture, and serving size for your own kitchen.

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

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.
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.
Mix in all of the remaining spices and continue to cook for another minute.
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.
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.