Butter Beans Recipe with Tomatoes
Legumes form a huge part of my pantry. ("well so does many other god-knows-what-ingredients which never seem to finish! That poor pantry seems so overstuffed; I feel like that sometimes" -- quips the "poor overstuffed" husband). Guess I should pack my bags and go on a vacation or something for few months! Then smarty pants here will know the meaning of overly loving, sensitive and caring wife (I am talking about me in case you couldn't correlate me and the sentence together..!! Grr..)  Since my kitchen is blessed with abundant legumes, I use them more often than not in our day to day cooking. Its so adaptable and forgiving in any dish you want to use it for. This simple butter beans dish is one such. I do not normally buy "canned " stuff. I get the dried ones, soak them overnight and pressure cook them. Yes, I make my life harder this way- if you dint guess it already. But once in a while if I see ingredients which are normally not available to me, then I use the can. The butter beans have been something which I just could not find and chancing upon these canned ones, I could not help myself from grabbing couple of them. I made this simple side dish together with Mediterranean flavors which I thought would go v well with the beans. It did! The oregano and thyme make this dish. Its versatile and you can add any vegetable you like.
  • Cook time:
  • Prep time:
  • Serves: 2 people
Ingredients
  • 3 cups canned butter beans
  • 1 large onion,chopped
  • 1 carrot,chopped finely
  • 1-2 garlic cloves,minced (or as per taste)
  • about 1/2 tsp dried oregano and thyme (or use double of the fresh herbs)
  • 2 large tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • pinch of sugar
  • salt to taste
  • few sprigs of cilantro to garnish
Method
1. In a skillet add about 1 tsp oil and saute the onions and garlic with salt.
2. When slightly soft, add the carrots. Chopping them small helps to cook it faster.
3. Add the tomatoes, the dried herbs and the tomato paste.
4. Add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup water and cook it in high heat. We want the tomatoes to get mushy and well cooked without any raw smell. In fact it gets aromatic with the herbs - esp. Oregano
5. When most of the water has been absorbed, add the beans. Make sure to rinse the canned beans in cold water first.
6. Add the sugar (or more if required). The sugar is to  balance any tart/sour taste from the tomatoes and cutting down the acidity. Add the cilantro and give it a toss until well stirred with the tomato mixture. Make sure to be gentle since the beans can disintegrate.
Serve hot. This is not dry nor like a gravy. Its somewhere in the middle and I personally find that it does well with chapathi/roti. Butter Beans Recipe with Tomatoes

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16 Comments

By Sara on May 3, 2015

This is good tasty and wholesome food. Also cheap and delicious. I halved the recipe as there is only me eating it. I had it with some nice new potatoes today, and tomorrow I shall have the other half with brown rice. Easy to make and easy to eat! Perfect food to satisfy taste buds and to keep healthy. Many thanks.

By miriam on Sep 30, 2014

Since I am not using canned beans, do they need to be soaked or boiled before using?

By meve on Jan 5, 2014

Terrific taste! however my butter beans disintegrated when were cooking. I did have the heat very, very low though. No a very good experienced cook, suppose.

By sivarajan on May 17, 2013

yummy yummy I tasted the while reading, now I am going to prepare and tastes the recipe

By BUTTER BEANS | Robin Nooner Fitness on Jan 7, 2013

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By Angeliki on Nov 23, 2012

You basically just made a famous Greek dish called Yigantes Plaki! LOL! They are one of my favorite dishes. Try adding some EVOO to it after they are cooked, like the Greeks do. If you are vegan, it really adds flavor ( not to mention health) If you are not vegan, try eating it with a chunk of really good authentic Feta cheese on the side--it goes really well! I made them tonight and tried something different to add a little more depth to the dish for my husband. I made some homemade breadcrumbs (I love crushing dried rusk bread which I find in Greek specialty markets) and I topped the dish off with them, then lightly sprayed with some olive oil spray and broiled a few minutes. The crunch brings a new dimension to it! 8)

By Aswathy on Jun 2, 2011

love the way you put together simple and healthy recipes which taste great too!!..the spouse is a total beans and legumes freak..this one in the lunch dabba next!

By Aarthi on May 23, 2011

WOW..you have so many good recipes...I am having a giveaway in my blog..if you want please check and join that... http://yummytummy-aarthi.blogspot.com/2011/05/chocolate-recipe-and-chocolate.html

By easy vegetarian recipes on May 23, 2011

just by looking at the photo, it made my mouth water. I would surely try this out. Thanks for the step-by-step photos. It can surely help.

By lemons & rinds on May 23, 2011

Liked your recipe. Soaking beans and pressure cooking them is not the harder way, but the most economical way to cook beans!!!

By nyginko on May 22, 2011

DK! I have a jiva for butter beans! And I'm so glad to see that you do, too! (Is my usage correct?) I've been asking around everywhere and looking for them for years, yet I don't find them fresh or dried ever. I do see them with herbs and spices "pickled" in jars and at a neighborhood store in barrels in the pickle and appetizer section. Has someone "cornered" the market" on these delicious beans?

By Apu on May 21, 2011

Butter beans are a favourite with us!! Love how you have made them!!

By Hari Chandana on May 21, 2011

Healthy and yummy dish.. looks awesome !! Indian Cuisine

By Nishi on May 21, 2011

A very tempting curry. You have made it look so good in the photographs. I can only imagine how it would have tasted :)

By Priya on May 21, 2011

Wonderful side dish,goes prefect with rotis..

By Vardhini on May 21, 2011

I do this too with various beans or seriously anything which is dying to be used in the pantry :) Vardhini VardhinisKitchen