24 curried bean recipes

Chickpea and spinach soup spices a creamy chickpea base with curry, cardamom, and nutmeg, then folds in tender wilted spinach. Vegetarian, lightly creamy from skim milk and a partial puree, ready in under an hour.

A quick microwave chickpea and zucchini curry with seitan, raisins, and mild curry paste in tomato sauce. Vegetarian, low-fat, and ready in 30 minutes.

Pitlai is a South Indian lentil stew with bitter gourd (karela), chickpeas, tamarind, and a ground coconut-spice paste. A tangy, complex vegetarian curry with toor dal and jaggery.

Spiced vegetable couscous with curry, cumin, and coriander, loaded with broccoli, carrots, bell pepper, chickpeas, and raisins. A colorful vegan meal made entirely in the microwave.

Homemade shake and bake coating mix with flour, crushed bran flakes, cayenne, curry powder, chili powder, and herbs. Make a big batch and store in the freezer.

Sri Lankan mixed pickle (achcharu) with chiles, cauliflower, carrots, beans, and dates in a spiced malt vinegar brine. Sweet-hot relish that wakes up rice and curry plates.

Laksa lemak with thick rice noodles, shrimp, bean sprouts, and cucumber in a rich coconut curry broth. A classic Malaysian noodle soup where the shrimp poaching liquid becomes the base of the laksa gravy.

Haricot Vert are tender French string beans. Use regular string beans if your supermarket doesn't carry them.