Black Bean Tomato Carrot Curry Bowls with Brown Basmati Rice
It may no longer be the International Year of Pulses, but lentils, beans and peas have been a staple for me ever since I can remember. They are not only nutritious, delicious and filling, but they make a great base for many a meal. These black bean tomato carrot curry bowls are simple to make and they taste very good indeed, especially when served with brown basmati rice. A perfect healthy whole food supper for Veganuary and to Jumpstart January.
The recipe is adapted from Meera Sodha’s new vegetarian cookbook, Fresh India which I featured in my Christmas gift guide. It’s fast become one of my favourite books. Meera’s curry, which she names Rajma contains kidney beans and no carrots. I had no kidney beans to hand, but I did have some cooked black beans in the freezer; I thought they might look rather dramatic against the red of the tomato sauce. My veg rack was sporting a few not-quite-but-nearly wrinkled carrots, so I thought I’d better use them up quick and incorporate into the sauce. I substituted a red chilli rather than a green one, omitted the chilli powder and used slightly different quantities of the other spices.
The sauce for the black bean tomato carrot curry is whizzed up in a blender. I used my Optimum G2.3 platinum series induction blender, This made short work of grinding the onions, carrots, ginger and other firm ingredients into a loose paste. It was then a simple process of frying some spices, adding the sauce and finally the beans and a few more spices.
I served the curry with the last of the Christmas Brussels sprouts and brown basmati rice. This is probably my favourite rice: it’s fragrant, slightly nutty and keeps the selenium, manganese, niacin, calcium, magnesium, fibre and more that is largely lost in white rice. I like a bit of chilli heat, but you can always use a mild or small chilli instead if you don’t want it too hot. We ate half of the curry one day and the remainder the next. Like all curries, it was even better on day two.
- 200g brown basmati rice
- 1 large onion or 2 small ones - peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 medium carrots - topped, tailed and scrubbed
- 1 red chilli - deseeded
- 3 cloves garlic - peeled
- thumb sized piece of ginger (I use organic ginger and keep the skin on)
- 1 400g tin of plum tomatoes
- 2 tbsp rapeseed or sunflower oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 400g cooked black beans or 1 tin
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ¾ tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- a few sprigs of coriander leaves (optional) - washed and chopped
- Wash the rice well, place in a pan with 425ml water. Place a lid on the pan. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat right down and allow the rice to steam for 30 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave the pan covered for a further ten minutes or until ready to serve.
- Blitz the onions, carrots, chilli, garlic, ginger and tomatoes in a blender until a loose paste forms (I use my Froothie Optimum G2.3).
- Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the cumin seeds for a few seconds, then add the tomato paste.
- Stir, bring to a simmer and cook for twenty minutes.
- Fill the empty tomato tin with water and add this to the paste.
- Bring to a simmer and add the beans and remaining spices. Add salt to taste and cook for a further ten minutes.
- Scatter the coriander leaves over the top just before serving.
- Serve with the rice, your choice of green vegetable and pickles.
- Soak the rice in warm water for at least an hour before needed to speed up the cooking time. Wash well and cook as above.
Other recipes for vegan curries you might like
- Aubergine, mushroom & sweet potato massaman curry via Planet Veggie
- Cauliflower leaf and sweet potato curry via Veggie Desserts
- Cauliflower rice and jerk sweet potatoes via Tin and Thyme
- Chickpea lentil curry via Casa Costello
- Creamy pumpkin curry via Amuse Your Bouche
- Kill-a-cold lentil curry via Tin and Thyme
- Prashad’s vegetable hindi via Gingey Bites
- Thai green curry with cashew nuts via Tin and Thyme
I’m sending my black bean tomato carrot curry to Jac at Tinned Tomatoes for Meat Free Mondays.
It also goes to Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary for the No Food Waste Challenge – those carrots really wouldn’t have lasted any longer nor would the Brussels sprouts.
As a Froothie Ambassador, I can offer Tin and Thyme readers free P&P on any Froothie blender – add 2483 free ambassador delivery to the comment box when ordering to get free postage and packing. Delivery will be credited back onto your card. The Optimum G2.3 is currently on offer at £399.
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I use my Optimum Blenders for smoothies, spreads, sauces and even chocolate making. The post contains affiliate links. Buying through a link will not cost you any more, but I will get a small commission. This helps keep Tin and Thyme blythe and blogging. Opinions are, as always, my own.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
10th January 2017
Yum! I can never follow a recipe to the letter, even one from a really great cookbook, so I like the sound of your substitutions!
Choclette
10th January 2017
Yes, I’m hopeless at following recipes, but they are great for inspiration and guidelines 🙂
joe ledesma
10th January 2017
thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes. I have been a vegetarian for 5 years now and I can’t tell you enough how your blog has perked up my cooking! I look forward to your postings and trying your recipes. Thanks again and best wishes for the new year.
Choclette
10th January 2017
Hello Joe. Thank you so much for commenting and letting me know. That’s possibly the nicest thing that’s happened to me this year 🙂 Happy New Year to you too.
Angie@Angie's Recipes
10th January 2017
I love that black bean tomato curry sauce! It’s not only healthy, also very delicious, Choclette.
Choclette
10th January 2017
Thanks Angie, it was definitely delicious, although it’s the sort of food we eat all of the time 🙂
Cathy @ Planet Veggie
10th January 2017
We have the same ‘loosely based on a recipe’ technique – use what we’ve got in the cupboard and add/omit to our own personal taste 🙂
Choclette
10th January 2017
Well that’s what good cooking’s all about really 🙂
Chris @thinlyspread
10th January 2017
Black beans are my absolute favourite, I bung them in everything! This looks like perfect January food and I am totally craving sprouts again now!
Choclette
10th January 2017
Black beans are so good. I’ve only come across them in the last few years. My mother always used to use large black beans which I wasn’t very keen on, so I was suspicious of these turtle beans – until I tried them!
Heidi Roberts
10th January 2017
There is something about brown rice – plain or basmati that just screams healthy and goodness! this looks like it would be really satisfying.
Choclette
11th January 2017
Personally, I find it much tastier than white rice too 🙂
Kate @ Veggie Desserts
11th January 2017
This curry sounds delicious. I love that you can whip up the sauce in the blender. 🙂
Choclette
11th January 2017
I would be so lost without a good blender. I use it most days.
Helen Costello
12th January 2017
Oh I could really do with that warm and hearty dish right now. Definitely loving the idea of adding black beans to a curry. Thank you so much for the mention x
Choclette
13th January 2017
Thanks Helen. I’m not sure what makes black beans so good, but they really are rather fab 🙂
Michelle @ Greedy Gourmet
13th January 2017
This is such a lovely vegetarian recipe, Choclette. I simply love the smell of Basmati rice. And the black beans there is a perfect match.
Choclette
13th January 2017
Oh yes, so right. The scent of basmati rice cooking is wonderful. Thank you.
Mel | A Virtual Vegan
13th January 2017
My kind of dinner! I love beans and I love curry. I also love sprouts with my curry! It could have been made for me :O)
Choclette
14th January 2017
I must have had you in mind Mel 🙂
Mina Joshi
15th January 2017
I have made the Rajma curry from Meera’s recipe and substituting Rajma for black beans sounds perfect. I have only just started using black beans and find them so easy to cook.
Choclette
15th January 2017
I’d be interested to hear what you think of Meera’s book Mina? Black beans are just fabulous.
Kat (The Baking Explorer)
15th January 2017
This curry sounds perfect for a weeknight meal!
Choclette
15th January 2017
It really is Kat and it’s also really easy to bulk up if needing to feed a crowd.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
16th January 2017
This looks like a perfect meal! I think I may have found me new favorite curry combo!
Choclette
16th January 2017
Haha, yes, it’s mine for the moment, but I’m rather fickle when it comes to food. I suspect something else will quickly win my affection 😉
Jacqueline Meldrum
23rd January 2017
You rock at these bowls Choclette!
Thanks for entering them into Meat Free Mondays, I featured your recipe and the roundup is now live, if you would like to see what else was featured this week or just how bonnie your dish looks. Right, now time to do a bit of promotion for this post for you!
Choclette
24th January 2017
Thanks Jac. I’ll head on over later to see what other feasts you have for us 🙂
ema
26th January 2017
Love this and such a tasty combination with the black beans and carrots, and i’m a big fan of brown rice too.
Choclette
31st January 2017
Thank you. Brown rice has such a lovely nutty flavour, I’m not quite sure why it is generally despised.
Elizabeth
1st February 2017
What a gorgeous way to serve the last of the festive sprouts! I love all the spices in this recipe – it sounds like a super inspiring book you’ve adapted it from. Thank you for sharing with the No Waste Food Challenge, it’s always great to have you on board! 🙂
Choclette
1st February 2017
Aw, thanks Elizabeth. It’s a fab book. I just need time to take a proper look at it. We’re big fans of spicy food here. It was curry for us again last night 🙂