South Indian Double Bean Curry

From the garden

• 3 cups fresh shelled lima beans, shelled
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 2 green chiles, slit lengthwise · use one for a mild pot
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 sprig fresh curry leaves, leaves pulled from the stem (optional) · about a dozen leaves; fresh or frozen, never dried
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ⅓ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

From the pantry

• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp black or brown mustard seed
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 can coconut milk · full fat; light coconut milk will not thicken
• 1 lime, cut into wedges · for the table
• 1½ cups long-grain rice · cooked, for serving
• salt · to taste
• black pepper

1. Boil the shelled limas in salted water 12–15 minutes, until a bean crushes easily against the side of the pot, then drain. Undercooked limas stay chalky no matter how long the gravy simmers afterward.
2. Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium-high and add the mustard seeds. Wait for them to pop and skitter, about 30 seconds, then drop in the curry leaves and stand back from the spatter.
3. Add the onion and green chiles and cook 6–8 minutes, until the onion is soft and gold at the edges. Stir in the garlic, ginger, turmeric, and cumin and cook 1 minute, until fragrant.
4. Add the tomatoes with a good pinch of salt and cook 5–6 minutes, mashing them down, until they collapse into a thick masala and the oil separates and shines around the edge of the pan.
5. Pour in the coconut milk, add the beans, and simmer gently 8–10 minutes, until the gravy thickens and coats them. Keep it below a hard boil, which splits coconut milk. Season with salt and black pepper.
6. Finish with the cilantro off the heat and serve over rice with lime wedges, squeezing one over each bowl: the acid is what keeps a coconut gravy from tasting heavy.