Lima Beans Pulao

Lima beans pulao - another protein packed, delicious rice dish is my second day entry for Blogging Marathon # 13. If rice dishes are meant for kids' lunch boxes, I try adding protein in one form or another and this lima bean pulao is an example. My older one is 13 and can handle spicy food better than me and so this recipe works for older kids like him. If serving younger ones, reduce the green chillies or omit the cloves / ginger or whatever changes suit you to make this rice dish milder.

Ingredients (Yield 3 servings)
1 cup Basmati rice
Soaked baby lima beans - 3/4 cup (Soak lima beans over night.)*
2 handfuls cilantro / fresh coriander leaves
2 - 3 Tbsp coconut
2 cloves
1 inch cinnamon piece
1 inch piece ginger
2 green chillies (Adjust accordingly.)
salt to taste
1 Tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
* If using canned beans, add 1 & 1/2 cups lima beans. Rinse well before using and add along with the cilantro paste.

Method:
* Cook rice and lima beans adding 2 cups of water. Keep aside and let cool.
* Grind cilantro, coconut, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and green chillies together to a paste.
* Heat oil in a pan / kadai and add cumin seeds. When they start to brown, add the ground paste and saute until the raw smell is gone.
* Add salt and the rice - bean mixture to the pan and mix well so that rice is coated uniformly with the sauteed paste. Turn off the stove.
* This can be served plain or with yogurt / raita.

Check here to find out what the other marathoners participating in this BM are cooking.

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Baby Lima Beans in Spicy Almond Sauce

Kalyani has posed an interesting challenge of Almond & Ginger for this month's Magic Mingle and I was eyeing some baked recipes using the above mentioned ingredients. In the mean time, the box of Hurst bean bags I won for the MLLA arrived and I decided to create a recipe of my own utilizing the beans as well. And so was born this delicious lima beans curry in spicy almond sauce which garnered appreciation from my kids. I consider this experiment a success since after coming from school, my kids remembered to tell me that the curry I packed for their lunch was very yummy. :)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup dried baby lima beans - soaked overnight (or 1.5 cup soaked or canned lima beans)
1 Tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
a pinch of turmeric powder
1 big onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp coriander powder
Salt to taste
To grind:
6 Tbsp almonds
a handful of cilantro leaves
2 green chillies (I used hot Serrano Peppers. Adjust the quantity as needed.)
a small piece of ginger



Method:
* Pressure cook the soaked beans. If using canned beans, rinse thoroughly and keep aside. 
* Heat oil and add cumin seeds. When they start to brown, add onion and cook until translucent. Then add tomatoes and cook until mushy.
* Mean while, grind the ingredients mentioned under "to grind" adding a little water.
* Add the cooked / canned lima beans, ground paste, salt and coriander powder to the cooked tomato - onion mixture. Cook the mixture on low flame until the raw smell of the almond paste is gone. Turn off  the stove and serve warm with rotis.

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