Achari aloo with black beans

Ingredients for 2 portions:

  • 500g baby potatoes
  • 1 red onion
  • 350g pre-cooked black beans
  • 6 cloves of garlic (about 30g)
  • 80g Indian Lime Pickle (e.g. this one, or mango pickle)
  • 20g olive oil
  • 0.25 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 0.5 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 0.5 teaspoon turmeric powder

Methods:

  • Boil the potatoes hours in advance, as it will take time for the starches to set as the potatoes cool down. Or boil them the day before. Or if you are boiling them last minute, spread them on a cold plate as soon as they are ready and put them in the coldest place available for at least a bit.
  • Make the achari paste. Very roughly chop the garlic. Place it in a bowl, add the pickle, olive oil, salt and spices - cumin, coriander, turmeric. Handblender everything into a paste.
  • Pre-heat the frying pan with a splash of olive oil.
  • Dice an onion, and start frying it.
  • Cube boiled baby potatoes and add them to the pan.
  • Prepare the beans (defrost or drain from the cans).
  • Add the achari paste to the pan and mix everything thoroughly.
  • If your beans are nice and firm, mix them in and serve. If they are at high risk of disintegrating into a mush, plate the beans first and then top them with potatoes.

Notes: For a vegan take on palak paneer, make it without paneer and serve it topped with achari aloo.