Rajasthani Desert Bean Curry

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried ker berries
• 1 cup dried sangri beans
• 3 tablespoons ghee
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 2 green chile, seeded and minced
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• 1.5 cups water
• ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Instructions

1. 1

   Rinse the 1 cup dried ker berries and 1 cup dried sangri beans separately under cool running water, agitating gently to remove any dust or debris. Set both aside to drain.

2. 2

   Set a heavy-bottomed 10-inch stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of ghee and let it melt — it should shimmer but not smoke.

3. 3

   Once the ghee is hot, sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds. Listen for them to crackle and darken slightly, about 30 seconds — this releases their oils and infuses the ghee with nutty flavor.

4. 4

   Add the sliced onion and sauté, stirring frequently, until the edges are deep golden-brown and caramelized, about 6-7 minutes. You want some char here for depth — adjust heat to medium if the pan gets too aggressive.

5. 5

   Reduce heat to medium. Peel and finely mince 4 garlic cloves and grate a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger on a microplane. Seed and finely mince 2 green chiles. Add the garlic, ginger, and green chile to the onions and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the raw garlic smell fades, about 1-2 minutes.

6. 6

   Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of ground coriander, 0.5 teaspoon of ground turmeric, 0.5 teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder, and 0.5 teaspoon of garam masala. Stir continuously for 30 seconds to toast the spices gently — they should become fragrant but not burn.

7. 7

   Add the drained ker berries and sangri beans to the spice mixture and stir well, coating everything evenly. Cook for 1 minute, stirring gently, so the beans absorb the spiced ghee.

8. 8

   Pour in 1.5 cups of water and add 0.75 teaspoon of fine sea salt. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce to medium-low. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beans and berries are tender and most of the liquid has reduced by half, about 15-18 minutes. The curry should look moist but not soupy — the beans should yield to gentle pressure from a spoon.

9. 9

   Taste and adjust salt as needed. Scatter 3 tablespoons of fresh cilantro over the top and fold it through gently.

10. 10

    Transfer the ker sangri to a serving bowl or individual plates while warm. The curry deepens in flavor as it sits, so it tastes even better the next day. Serve with warm Indian bread like roti or bajra roti, or alongside steamed basmati rice.

Tools you’ll need

• 10-inch cast iron skillet or heavy stainless steel skillet
• wooden spoon
• microplane grater
• small paring knife
• cutting board
• measuring cups and spoons
• fine-mesh strainer

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