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    Home » Mains

    Creamy Butter Bean Curry

    by romylondonuk | 7 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This fragrant Indian-style Butter Bean Curry is what you'll want to have every midweek dinner from now on! It's flavorful and creamy, made to a vegan recipe with tinned butter beans and coconut milk. It's easy to make - even if you've never made curry before - and great for batch cooking. Plus, it's also freezer friendly!

    Simply delicious served alongside basmati rice, homemade naan bread, coconut yogurt, and fresh coriander.

    Creamy Butter Bean Curry Recipe

    This bean curry recipe is:

    • 100% vegan
    • naturally gluten-free
    • dairy-free and egg-free
    • nut free
    • easy to make
    • a delicious mid-week dinner
    • super creamy
    • full of flavour
    a bowl filled with rice and vegan butter bean curry

    Why this recipe works

    Bean curry recipes are one of the regulars when it comes to midweek meals in our household. They're simply so easy to make in one big pot and pack a whole bunch of flavor from the spices and ingredients used. This butter bean curry is freezer-friendly and also tastes delicious reheated, which makes it perfect for your vegan meal prep and batch cooking.

    Ingredients for this recipe

    For this flavorsome bean curry, you only need a handful of natural ingredients:

    Ingredients for butter bean curry
    • tinned butter beans: for ease I use tinned, cooked butter beans in this bean curry. It speeds up the entire process of cooking this curry dish, but if you prefer, you can also use dried beans. Please see my notes in the 'Frequently Asked Questions' below.
    • rape seed oil: rapeseed oil is grate for cooking your aromatics in this recipe. It has a high smoke point and is also flavor-neutral, which is perfect for this curry recipe.
    • onion: I use yellow onions for this vegan recipe.
    • garlic: garlic is a must in this recipe for me - I simply love the flavor. I recommend grating the garlic before adding it to the curry. This way it turns into a garlic paste that is easy to stir through the butter bean curry.
    • salt: the salt helps draw the moisture out of the onion and garlic, helping them soften and cook quicker without searing the edges. It also adds a layer of base flavor to the curry. You can adjust the amount of salt at the end of the recipe to get the right saltyness for your personal taste.
    • fresh ginger: fresh ginger is great in curries! I like to store my fresh ginger in the freezer and grate it for easy access.
    • spices: the spices used in this curry recipe are ground coriander seeds, cumin, garam masala, curry powder, and chilli powder to taste. Simply use your favorite fragrant curry powder to season the curry dish and adjust the heat with some additional chili powder if needed.
    ingredients for bean curry
    • tinned tomatoes: for this butter bean curry recipe I always like to use organic chopped tomatoes.
    • tinned coconut milk: the coconut milk adds a delicious creaminess to this curry and also tones down the heat from the ginger, curry powder and chili powder. Who doesn't love a wonderfully creamy bean curry?!
    • spinach: for convenience I like to use frozen spinach, but you can also use a handful of fresh spinach to add some delicious greens to this vegan curry recipe.
    • salt & pepper to taste

    To serve:

    • basmati rice
    • fresh coriander
    • coconut yogurt
    • homemade naan bread

    How to make Butter Bean Curry (Step-by-Step)

    This delicious vegan curry is super quick and easy to make, which makes it perfect for a mid-week dinner or some delicious batch-booking for the week ahead.

    Preparation:

    • drain the tinned butter beans
    • dice the onion
    • grate the garlic and ginger
    • measure out your ingredients

    Step 1: Cook the aromatics

    Heat the rapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the diced onions. Sauté them for 4-5 minutes or until softened, then stir in the grated garlic and sprinkle with salt. Cook for another minute or until the garlic is fragrant.

    Step 2: Add the curry spices

    Add the grated ginger to the skillet and stir in all the spices: ground coriander seeds, cumin, garam masala, and curry powder. Adjust the heat of your curry with chili powder (optional). Toast all the spices for 1-2 minutes.

    spices added to the skillet
    aromatics and spices for the bean curry in a large skillet

    Step 3: Simmering

    Pour the chopped tomatoes into the skillet alongside the frozen spinach and stir to combine. Add the drained butter beans and the coconut milk. Simmer the butter bean curry over low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly or until it reaches your desired texture and smells fragrant. If needed adjust by adding small amounts of water at a time, or cook a little longer, if it's still too thin for your liking.

    tomatoes and spinach added to the skillet
    butter beans added to the skillet

    Lastly, season to taste with salt and pepper and you're ready to serve!

    the curry ingredients all stirred up into a smooth butter bean curry sauce

    Serving

    You can serve your Indian-style butter bean curry right away alongside cooked basmati rice, homemade naan bread, and a dollop of coconut yogurt. Finish up with a sprinkle of fresh coriander on top and enjoy!

    Storage

    Store this delicious bean curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or store it in the freezer for 3 months. To defrost, simply thaw it in the fridge overnight.

    close up of the creamy vegan curry

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is the butter bean curry gluten-free?

    This vegan bean curry recipe uses only ingredients that are naturally gluten-free

    Can I use dried beans in this recipe?

    Absolutely! If you're using dried butter beans instead of tinned ones, measure 160g of dried beans, then soak overnight, discard the water and cook in fresh water until soft.

    What if the curry turned out too spicy?

    If you've gone a little overboard with the spice for your curry, then stir some coconut yogurt into the curry to reduce the heat.

    Ingredient Leftovers? Try my Red Lentil Dhal or Pumpkin Dhal - or my Dum Aloo (Potato Curry) and make some delicious Spicy Butter Bean Dip!

    If you’ve tried and loved this recipe, I would love for you to leave a star rating and short review at the bottom of this recipe post ❤️

    You might also enjoy these recipes:

    • Vegan Falafel Curry
      Vegan Falafel Curry
    • vegan-tikka-masala
      Vegan Tikka Masala
    • A yellow bowl with vegan one pot curry noodles
      Coconut Curry Pasta
    • Roasted pumpkin and red lentil dhal (dahl, dal) a black bowl on a dark marble table topped with coconut yoghurt
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    If - like me - you love Pinterest, you can find me here & if you like, you can pin any of the images on this page to your boards 😊 

    delicious vegan butter bean curry recipe in a yellow bowl alongside homemade naan bread, basmati rice, coconut yogurt and fresh coriander

    Butter Bean Curry

    This deliciously creamy Butter Bean Curry is what midweek dinner dreams are made of! Wonderfully fragrant and creamy, made with tinned butter beans and coconut milk. Super easy to make and perfect for a tasty midweek dinner. Freezer-friendly.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Indian
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 431 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 large skillet
    • 1 spatula

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 14-oz tins of butter beans (400 g) drained
    • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
    • 1 small yellow onion diced
    • 5 garlic cloves grated
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 2 tsp fresh ginger grated
    • 1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds
    • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
    • 2 tsp garam masala
    • 2 tbsp curry powder
    • 1 tin chopped tomatoes (400 g)
    • 1 tin coconut milk (400 ml)
    • 1 cup frozen spinach (150 g, 5.3 oz)
    • chili powder to taste optional
    • salt and pepper to taste

    To serve:

    • basmati rice
    • fresh coriander
    • homemade naan bread

    Instructions
     

    • In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil and saute the onions for 4-5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and sprinkle with salt.
    • Add the grated ginger to the skillet, then stir in all spices. Let them toast for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
    • Pour the tinned tomatoes and spinach into the skillet and stir to combine. Add the drained butter beans and the coconut milk. Simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes, or until thickened and fragrant.
    • Season to taste with salt then serve your butter bean curry alongside basmati rice, homemade naan bread, fresh coriander, and a dollop of coconut yoghurt.

    Notes

    • Curry Powder: The flavor and spice in this curry are easily adjustable based on the curry powder that you use. I personally love Masala curry mixes with a bit of spice, so the amount outlined in this recipe is to my personal taste. If you love a bit of spice, go for a spicier curry mix - and choose a mild one if you're not into spicy. The bottom line: adjust the curry powder amount to your own taste and check the flavor of your curry as you cook. Curry powder is always an easy one to add more of at the end of the recipe, so if the flavor is a little too mild for your taste, simply add some more.
    • Adjusting the spice: If you realize you've gone overboard with the spice of your curry, stir in some coconut yogurt to tone down the spice of the curry.
    • Butter beans are also known as 'lima beans'
    • Coconut Milk: swap for low-fat coconut milk if you are looking to reduce the fat content in this recipe.
    • Nutritional information for reference only.
    Keyword bean curry, butter bean curry, coconut curry, curry recipe, easy curry, vegan bean curry, vegan butter bean curry, vegan coconut curry, vegan curry

    📌 If you love Pinterest you can pin any of the images to your boards!

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     © Romy London / Romina Callwitz | All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images and content without prior permission. If you wish to re-publish this recipe, please get in touch via email. Thank you so much for supporting romylondonuk.com!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lisa

      September 18, 2022 at 6:00 pm

      5 stars
      Made this curry with butter beans, kidney beans and chickpeas. It's delicious and easy to make,. I'll definitely be making it again.

      Reply
      • romylondonuk

        September 20, 2022 at 8:26 am

        Thanks so much for the lovely review, Lisa! So glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂

        Reply
        • Mel

          March 18, 2023 at 7:51 pm

          Made this for dinner, my husband and I loved it! Will definitely be making this again!

          Reply
          • romylondonuk

            March 19, 2023 at 12:34 pm

            Thanks so much for the review, Mel! So glad to there you enjoyed the recipe 🙂

            Reply
    2. Gwen H Baker

      October 21, 2022 at 11:43 pm

      5 stars
      I made this and it was absolutely delicious. I had with Roti and Brown Basmati Rice, with a dollop of Coconut yogurt. Yum.

      Reply
      • romylondonuk

        October 24, 2022 at 10:08 am

        So glad you liked it! Thanks so much for leaving a review 🙂

        Reply
    3. Patty

      May 15, 2023 at 5:26 pm

      5 stars
      in love with this curry recipe! already made it twice and it's been a hit with the family 🙂

      Reply

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