Lal Lobia Recipe

Wash the lobia and soak overnight in plenty of water.

⏱ 480 min

Drain, add 6 cups of fresh water and 1 teaspoon of the salt, and boil hard for 10 minutes, skimming off the froth. This fast boil is needed to make kidney beans safe to eat.

⏱ 10 min

Lower the heat, cover and simmer until the beans are completely soft and creamy inside. Keep the cooking water. (In a pressure cooker: about 20 minutes on low after the first whistle.)

⏱ 45 min

Heat the oil in a pot on medium heat, add the cumin and let it crackle, then fry the onions until golden brown.

⏱ 8 min

Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add the tomatoes, the remaining salt, red chilli, turmeric and coriander powder and bhuno until the tomatoes melt and the oil separates.

⏱ 7 min

Turn the heat to low and stir in the yogurt a spoonful at a time, then bhuno for another 2 minutes until the oil separates again.

⏱ 2 min

Add the beans with about 2 cups of their cooking water. Mash a handful of beans against the side of the pot, then simmer uncovered on low heat until the gravy is thick and glossy.

⏱ 15 min

Add the green chillies, garam masala and kasuri methi, cover and leave on the lowest heat for 3 minutes. Top with coriander and serve.

⏱ 3 min