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Light and Fragrant Butter Bean Curry

This butter bean curry is light but full of flavour — a warm, fragrant mix of toasted spices, garlic, and ginger. Brown sugar and lime juice bring the sauce to life, while butter beans soak up the spices beautifully. It’s a freezer-friendly, batch-cooking kind of recipe that still feels fresh, especially when served with herbs and lemon.
A close up of a butterbean, spinach and tomato curry in a stainless steel indian bowl with a slice of lime on top
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dinner, Main
Cuisine Inspired by Indian Flavours
Servings 3 servings
Calories 312

Ingredients
  

  • 15 ml rapeseed oil
  • 375 g brown onion | unpeeled weight
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 15 g fresh garlic | unpeeled weight; finely grated or chopped
  • 25 g ginger | unpeeled weight; finely grated or chopped
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • 6 g ground coriander
  • 5.5 g ground cumin | toasted cumin seeds
  • 3 g turmeric
  • 15 g light soft brown sugar
  • 30 ml lime juice
  • 400 g tinned tomatoes
  • 240 g butter beans | cooked weight
  • ¼ tsp salt | to taste
  • 100 g spinach
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper | to taste

To serve

  • 1 handful fresh coriander | neatly chopped; not too fine, it will go to sludge
  • ½ lime or lemon | zest and wedge
  • 1 spring onion or shallot | diagonal slices

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed frying pan on a medium-low heat. A wide pan shows you what's happening, allows water to evaporate easily and enables food to cook uniformly.
    15 ml rapeseed oil
  • When the oil is warm, add the onion and salt, and cook for 5-6 minutes, until the onion is so and translucent.
    375 g brown onion, 1 pinch salt
  • Add the garlic and ginger and continue to cook, caramelising the ingredients carefully. Everything becomes softer and you will have a lovely aroma in the kitchen.
    15 g fresh garlic, 25 g ginger
  • Add the spices and continue to cook. Add a little water to loosen if necessary.
    1 pinch cayenne pepper, 6 g ground coriander, 5.5 g ground cumin, 3 g turmeric
  • Add the sugar and stir to melt and caramelise.
    15 g light soft brown sugar
  • Add the lime juice, and stir, allowing the liquid to evaporate.
    30 ml lime juice
  • Stir in the tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes. Add the butter beans and continue to simmer. If you are freezing this, do it now. Don't add the spinach.
    400 g tinned tomatoes, 240 g butter beans
  • If eating now, fold in the spinach. Taste and adjust the salt. Add ground black pepper if you like it!
    ¼ tsp salt, 100 g spinach, ¼ tsp ground black pepper

To serve

  • Add the optional extras... Serve with basmati rice.
    1 handful fresh coriander, ½ lime or lemon, 1 spring onion or shallot

Notes

Make-Ahead: this is a great recipe to make ahead. It will sit happily in the fridge.
Freezer-Friendly: don't include the spinach if you're wanting to get some batches in the freezer.

Nutrition

Calories: 312kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 13gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 234mgPotassium: 1419mgFiber: 13gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 3590IUVitamin C: 49mgCalcium: 190mgIron: 7mg

Nutritional values are estimates only and will vary depending on specific ingredients used. Nutrition is per serving. Information is for the main recipe, not optional accompaniments.

COPYRIGHT

© The Golden Polar Bear, 2026. Recipe and photography by Julia Savory. If you share it, please link back to thegoldenpolarbear.com.