South African inspired bean curry

Winter is here…today has been the coldest day of the year so far. I woke up and the world was white with frost, and even though the sun was shining, the frost stayed put all day...it was COLD! And on a cold day there's not much better than a real spicy curry, so today I made a bean and potato curry. It was DELICOUS. The smell of curry frying is one of the most appetizing smells I know. This curry can be made as mild or hot as your taste buds can handle. The secret with a good curry is using a good curry powder which can be bought at certain specialised stores. Or you can use Garam masala which can now be bought in Swedish grocery stores. The second secret for a good curry is to fry the curry powder first for a while. This recipe feeds about 6-8 people, and is a good economical meal. So heat up your stove and let the aromas flow.



Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp curry powder (a good quality garam masala) – for a spicy but not hot curry
- 2 onions, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp salt
- 375 g red kidney beans
- 1 cup (250ml) red lentils, rinsed
- 375 g cannellini beans
- 1 tin (400g) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup (250ml) water
- 5 potatoes, chopped in large chunks

Method:
1. Put the oil and butter in a big pot and fry it until it stops bubbling.
2. Add the curry powder and let it simmer on medium heat for 7 minutes. Add the onions and half of the crushed garlic and fry until soft (about 10 minutes).
3. Add the beans, lentils, tomato and water. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 2 hours with a lid on. Stir every now and then, adding more water if needed.
4. Add the potatoes half an hour before serving. Serve with some pita bread and a carrot salad.