Kali mirch beans (Beans in Indian Black pepper Cream sauce) uses the flavorful sauce from North Indian Chicken kali mirch(black pepper chicken curry) but with Beans! 1 pan, 30 mins, gluten-free, soy-free. This one pan meal is delicious with flatbread or sourdough for dipping or make it a fusion meal by serving over pasta, baked potato, or roasted cauliflower!

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: dinner, Main, Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian, north indian, Pakistani

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 2 whole cloves ((laung))
  • 1 bay leaf ((tej patta))
  • 2 green cardamom pods (partially opened, (hari elaichi))
  • 2 inch cinnamon stick ((dal chini))
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper ((kali mirch))
  • 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves ((kasoori methi))
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste (or 3 cloves of garlic, minced and 1/2” of ginger, minced)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (divided)
  • 1/3 cup non-dairy yogurt (or non-dairy cream or 1 to 1 1/2 cups of thick non-dairy milk)
  • 1 to 2 ounces frozen spinach (or fresh spinach)
  • 1 cup water (or stock or non dairy milk)
  • 15 ounce can white beans (drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked beans, such as cannellini, great northern, butter beans, or chickpeas)
  • red pepper flakes, black pepper, cilantro, and vegan parmesan (for garnish)

Method

  1. Heat a skillet over medium heat, and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the cloves, bay leaf, cardamom, and cinnamon stick and cook for about 30 seconds, until the bay leaf changes color and the cinnamon stick gets fragrant. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the black pepper, fenugreek, and garam masala. Mix for a few seconds to infuse the oil, then stir in the onion and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Increase the heat back to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is golden, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add splashes of water to help the onions cook and brown evenly.
  2. Then, mix in the ginger garlic paste, and cook for 30 seconds. If the paste is splattering, add a splash of water to help it calm down. If you’re using minced ginger and garlic, cook for a minute or until the garlic is starting to turn golden.
  3. Now, mix in the non-dairy yogurt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, spinach, and water or stock or non dairy milk, and bring to a boil. Then, stir in the beans. Taste and adjust the salt and flavor. You can add in more black pepper for more heat at this point and more salt, if needed, or some non dairy cream or cheese for creamier. Then partially cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Switch off the heat, then garnish with the red pepper flakes, black pepper, cilantro, and vegan parmesan and serve.
  4. Serve kali mirch beans with garlic bread, naan, flatbread, toasted sourdough. For a fusion dish, you can spoon it over a baked potato, seared cauliflower, or your favorite pasta!

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.