A creamy low-fat yam curry with pinto beans. Yams or taro roots are starchier than potatoes and make a creamier sauce. Enjoy with rice or naan.
Yummy yams! They are so good to eat just boiled accompanied with some chutney or salsa. Mum got those really cute baby yams. And although I’m not a great fan of curry, I haven’t had curry for a while and had never tried yams in curry.
So I gave it a go and it was great! Really creamy mushy taste combined with pinto beans.
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while you must have noticed that beans appear quite a lot in my recipes! This is because, as mentioned before, I am intolerant to soy and allergic to nuts! So, beans are my only protein saviour!
This recipe could well be done with tofu instead of the beans.
According to nutritiondata.com, yams are a rich source of manganese, potassium and vitamin C. Quite good! I should eat them more often.
I use a mild curry powder as I don’t like hot curries. I think hot curry powder just blows off the taste. Don’t panic at the use of so many spices in this curry. You could just do a nice curry with curry powder and turmeric. The other spices are optional if you don’t have them but they do add more fragrance to the curry.
One thing I like about homemade curries is that I don’t get a layer of oil floating over the vegetables like when I go to Indian restaurants!
Curries don’t have to be sinful! This recipe only contains 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil for 4 servings. I’ve even done curries with no oil at all and they still taste great. I just use water instead.
Woks are quite handy to use for curries I think. They provide enough room for easy stirring without messing up the kitchen.
You may also like these curry recipes:
Red Kidney Beans and Zucchini in Pumpkin Curry Sauce
Yam Curry with Pinto Beans
To make Yam Curry:
Start by cutting the peeled yams into small pieces. If you’re using baby yams, you can simply cut them in half or leave some whole for variety.
In a bowl, mix together the garlic and ginger paste, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, and garam masala. Add a small amount of water to create a thick paste. Set this aside for later use.
Heat a wok over medium heat and add a bit of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and fenugreek seeds. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes until the onions start to soften and become fragrant.
Next, add the curry paste you prepared earlier. Stir well to combine with the onions and spices. Pour in about ¼ cup of water to help the spices blend and roast. Allow the mixture to cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated, then add a little more water and let it reduce again. This process helps to deepen the flavours.
After the second reduction, add approximately ½ cup of water and the cut yams. Stir everything together, ensuring the yams are well-coated with the spice mixture. Cover the wok and let it cook for about 15 minutes. During this time, stir occasionally and add more water if necessary to prevent sticking. You want to cook until the yams are tender, which you can check by inserting a fork.
Once the yams are soft, stir in the pinto beans and add the tomatoes. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Season with salt to taste.
Serve this flavourful yam and pinto bean curry with rice or your favourite Indian bread. Enjoy!
Yam Curry with Pinto Beans
A creamy low-fat yam curry with pinto beans. Yams or taro roots are starchier than potatoes and make a creamier sauce. Enjoy with rice or naan.
Ingredients
- 250 g yams, peeled
- 1 can, 250 g pinto beans, drained
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic and ginger paste, or ½ tablespoon of each, see notes
- 1 heaped tablespoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin, optional
- 1 teaspoon garam masala, mix ground spices - pepper, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg (optional)
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds, optional
- 2 tomatoes, canned or fresh, chopped
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Salt to taste
- Water as needed for cooking
Instructions
Cut the peeled yams into small pieces. (The baby ones only need to be cut in half and some left whole).
In a bowl combine the garlic and ginger paste, curry powder, turmeric, cumin and garam masala with a little water. Stir to make a paste. Set aside.
In a wok on medium heat, add oil.
Add onions and fenugreek seeds. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the curry paste and stir. Add about ¼ cup of water and allow the spices to roast.
When the liquid has reduced, add some more water and allow to reduce again.
Then add about ½ cup water. Add the yams. Stir.
Cover and cook for about 15 minutes.
Occasionally stir and add water if required until yams are soft. Test by inserting a fork.
When yams are cooked, stir in the pinto beans. Add tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add salt to taste.
Enjoy with rice or Indian bread of your choice.
Notes
It's easy to make your own Ginger-Garlic Paste at home. Check out our easy tutorial with video - https://veganlovlie.com/quick-tip-pre-mince-prepare-preserve/
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I love to eat yam a lot in mauritius, but have not yet came across it in england.. By the way, for the paste that you prepared, can it be used with other vegetable instead of yam(like for eg, potato etc). Thanks
Yes there are yams in the UK. I’ve bought it a lot of times in some Tescos (at Harrow most often) and also in Indian groceries shops. They are huge though, which is why you might not realise they are actually yams! In Indian shops you can ask them to cut it for you.<BR/><BR/>And yes you can use the same base curry paste for any other veggies, potatoes, carrots, cauliflower. <BR/>Cooking time may