Loubia ( with a little more heat)

Saturday night with the family, around the table, eating the food mum has prepared in only the way that she can,   ( chicken most likely), enjoying every bite with that warm satisfied feeling.This is just one of the things i miss, and i have noticed since moving away i have taken more of an interest in Indian cooking, food that i rarely made in London. I would always watch mum making the dishes from scratch, with no recipe to hand, just from memory, knowing exactly what ingredient came next and how much of it, working her way around the kitchen quickly and effeciently. The kitchen was always spotless at the end, every surface clean, no trace of the preperation that had gone into that dish, just the aroma of it filling the house.

It's hard to explain but in some ways i feel like my new interest in Indian cooking, all my experimenting, is a way for me to feel like i'm still connected to my family life in London, not missing out on anything and trying to imitate mum's actions. 

So on this Saturday i took a moroccan recipe and 'Indianized' it slightly, served it with coriander rice, in the hope that in my mind it would transport me back home. It did just was needed.

Loubia 

1 can of cannellini beans

1 red onion chopped finely

1 tablespoon chopped coriander

1-2 small cloves  crushed garlic

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped root ginger

1 heaped teaspoon cumin

1 heaped teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon hot/garam masala

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

a large pinch of turmeric

1/2 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

4/ 5 tablespoons tomato puree ( i use passata)

1-1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Add olive oil to your pan, on a medium heat  cook the onions for 2-3 minutes. Add the crushed garlic and ginger and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly. 

2. Add the tomato puree ( passata) to the pan and stir into the onion mix. Add all the spices in to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. 

3. Wash and drain the cannellini beans and add to the pan along with the coriander. 

4. Stir the cannellini beans in and add in your water ( i normally add 1 cup of water). Put the lid on your pan and cook for 30 minutes, checking the pan from time to time and giving the beans a stir. 

5. After 30 minutes you should have a nice thick sauce. Serve hot with bread or rice!