I had never tasted large black beans (aka Turtle beans, Frijoles negros, or caviar Criolla) until I came to the USA. These beans are a staple in Central and South America. When I first saw them on the supermarket shelves, I was intrigued. Then I got to taste them in salads and Mexican food. I decided to give it a try cooking it with an Indian twist!
Although you can use the canned variety, I prefer to buy the raw beans and soak them overnight.
Black Bean Dal (Turtle Beans, Frijoles Negros, or Caviar Criolla)
Giving traditional black beans an Indian twist! Packed with flavor and nutrients—an Indi-Mex creation.
Ingredients
- 2 cups black beans
Tadka (Tempering)
- ½ large onion (chopped relatively fine (approximately 3/4cup) )
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 large tomato, chopped (or 2 tbsp of tomato paste mixed with 2 tbsp of water)
- 2 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp red chili powder (or to your taste)
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
Garnish
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped cilantro (Garnish2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro1-2 tablespoons ghee or butter)
- 2 tbsp desi ghee or butter
Instructions
- Pick, sort, clean, and rinse the beans.
- Place in a 6 quart pot and cover with water.
- Soak the beans overnight.
- The next day, drain and rinse again.
- Place the beans into a medium pot with 5 cups of water and a teaspoon of salt.
- Cover and bring the beans to boil on high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the beans are tender. About 40-45 minutes. (Or 10-15 minutes in a pressure cooker or Instapot).
- If the water evaporates while cooking the beans on the stove, you can add some hot water.
- Ensure the beans are covered with at least two inches of water while cooking.
- As soon as the beans are cooked, turn off the heat and prepare the tadka (tempering).
Tadka (Tempering)
- In a frying pan, heat the oil and sauté the onions over medium heat until 3/4 brown, approximately 7 minutes.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and the coriander, cumin, and chili powders. Stir for a minute and then add the tomatoes. Stirring occasionally until the tomato starts to curl and the moisture starts to evaporate. Approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the garam masala.
- Pour the tadka into the boiled black beans and stir a few times. Add a little water to the tempering pan to scrape all the brown goodness sticking to the pan. Pour that back into the pot.
- Set the pot back on the stove and cook for another 5 minutes so that the masala is nicely absorbed.
- Pour into a serving dish and garnish with chopped cilantro.
- Add a tablespoon of desi ghee or butter to enhance the flavors.
- Serve with plain boiled rice or a pilaf. It also goes well with flatbreads or parathas. I enjoy it with a plain cumin pilaf or cumin-carrot pilaf.
Notes
As with most Indian meals, you can add a vegetable or meat dish to make a complete Indian meal, but it is filling by itself.
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