Ingredients
250g dried beans
water
2 teaspoons salt
1½ tablespoons ghee or oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala (see note below)
2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
1-2 fresh green chillis, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons lemon juice


Method
Soak dried beans in plenty of cold water overnight. Drain, rinse and put beans into a large saucepan with water to cover and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to the boil, cover and cook until tender. Add more hot water during cooking if necessary. Drain and reserve cooking liquid.

Heat ghee in a saucepan or a deep frying pan and gently fry the onions, garlic and ginger until soft and golden, then add turmeric, garam masala, tomatoes, chillies, mint, remaining teaspoon salt and lemon juice. Add the beans and stir well over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup reserved liquid, cover and cook over low heat until tomatoes and chillies are soft and the gravy thick. Serve with rice or Indian breads and part of a meal.

Note: Garam masala is a spice mix used extensively in Indian and Pakistani food. You can buy it pre-mixed in almost any supermarket or asian grocer, or you can make it yourself (garam masala spice mix recipe)