Gujarati Green Soybean Curry

From the garden

• 3 cups shelled edamame, shelled · from about 2 lb of pods; frozen shelled beans work too
• 1 lb waxy potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 hot green chiles, slit lengthwise
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ⅓ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

From the pantry

• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tsp brown mustard seeds
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder · or ground cayenne for a cleaner heat
• 1 tsp sugar · jaggery if you have it; the sweet note is a Gujarati signature
• 3 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 lemon · half squeezed in at the end, half cut into wedges
• 1½ cups long-grain rice · cooked, for serving
• salt · to taste

1. Boil the shelled edamame in salted water 4 minutes, until tender to the tooth, then drain. Soybeans are never eaten underdone, and cooking them apart keeps them green instead of stewing to khaki in the masala.
2. Heat the oil in a wide, deep pan over medium-high and add the mustard seeds. Wait for them to pop and skitter across the pan, about 30 seconds, then add the cumin and the slit chiles.
3. Cook the onion 6–7 minutes, until the edges take color, then stir in the garlic, ginger, turmeric, and chili powder for a minute, just until the raw edge lifts and the pan smells toasted.
4. Tip in the tomatoes, sugar, and a good pinch of salt. Cook 6–8 minutes, pressing the pieces down with the back of the spoon, until they collapse into a thick masala and the oil beads at the edges.
5. Add the potatoes and 1 cup of water, cover, and simmer over low heat 15 minutes, until a knife slides into a cube without resistance. Add a splash more water if the pan threatens to run dry.
6. Fold in the edamame and warm through, 2 minutes only. Finish off the heat with the lemon juice and cilantro, taste for salt, and serve with rice or warm flatbread and the lemon wedges.