East: Chili Lima Beans with Fresh Dill (Dalna)
Indian lima bean stew (dalna) with cumin, coconut, tomato, ginger, and fresh dill. Inspired by Orissan mung bean dalna, this vegan one-pot dish pairs with rice pilaf.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
60 minREADY
7 hrsDalna is a slow-simmered stew from Orissa in eastern India, traditionally made with yellow mung beans. This version swaps in large dried lima beans for a heartier texture that holds up beautifully through the long cook.
The flavor base is built in a skillet first: cumin seeds, onion, garlic, and fresh ginger get browned, then blended smooth with tomato, flaked coconut, and cilantro into a fragrant paste. That paste simmers with the soaked beans for about an hour until everything is tender but not falling apart. A finish of cayenne and paprika brings gentle heat, and fresh dill on top adds an unexpected herbal brightness that lifts the whole bowl.
The overnight soak is key. Unsoaked lima beans take forever to cook and never soften evenly.
Pro Tips
- Soak the beans a full 6 hours minimum, overnight is better. Drain and rinse well before cooking.
- Blend the tomato-onion mixture smooth. Any chunks left will make the stew look rough instead of velvety.
- Cook the beans until tender but still holding their shape. Mushy beans lose all their appeal in a stew like this.
- Serve over rice pilaf as the recipe suggests. The stew is saucy and needs something to soak it up.
Variations
- Use dried chickpeas or cannellini beans if lima beans aren’t available.
- Add a teaspoon of garam masala at the end for a warmer spice profile.
- Stir in a handful of fresh spinach in the last few minutes for extra colour and nutrition.
Ingredients
Directions
Dalnas are the ingenious creations of cooks from Orissa, in eastern India.
Traditionally, the dish is prepared with yellow mung beans, but I have created this recipe using readily obtainable large lima beans.
To round out the menu, accompany this robust stew with rice pilaf.
Rinse lima beans.
Soak in water to cover for 6 hours, or overnight.
Drain and rinse again.
Set aside.
Heat oil in a small heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
Add cumin, onion, garlic and ginger.
Stir and cook until onion starts to brown, about 4 minutes.
Add tomato, coconut and cilantro, reduce heat and cook until tomato is soft.
Transfer to a blender, add ¼ cup of the water and blend until smooth.
(If necessary, add more water to facilitate blending.) Combine beans, tomato-onion mixture and remaining water in a heavy 2 quart saucepan.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until beans are tender, but still hold their shape, about 1 hour.
Add cayenne, paprika and salt.
Mix thoroughly. Garnish with fresh dill.
Comments
