Rustic Red Bean Curry, vegan and gluten free

Red Beans have been my pantry staple since more than  5 years. Thanks to my love for Mexican cuisine, I learnt about  the nutritional benefits of red beans in our daily diet.
They boast of good protein/amino acids,  manganese ,  iron, cholesterol lowering fiber and vitamin B1 plus antioxidants.

Red Bean Curry called Rajma is a popular North Indian dish. Usually served as a side dish with naan bread /rice. I love this dish in a creamy texture and also flavorful . But wanted to keep it vegan.
Butter is one of the main ingredients used in the dish, and I decided to use coconut milk instead.

I am a foodie and when I cook, it has to be from scratch. Semihomemade or canned beans/veggies don't appeal to me. I soaked the beans overnight and cooked them next morning.
Most convenient method for me is to pressure cook the beans for 5-8 mins, rather than boil them on stovetop for longer time.
Here is the recipe and method:

1.5 cups red beans soaked overnight and cooked. Save the stock for the simmer.
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 large jalapeno finely chopped
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1.5 tsp cumin
6 garlic pods crushed with or without skin
salt to taste
Cilantro for garnish

In a steep wok( prefer the cast iron to non stick)  , pour  2 tablespoons canola oil and splutter the cumin. Add the crushed garlic and jalapeno and roast them for 2-3 minutes. Add cinnamon powder and mix the cooked red beans to it with the stock. Simmer for 5 minutes and add the coconut milk.
Let it simmer till you get a creamy texture , about 10 minutes on low flame . Stir constantly to make sure the beans do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Add salt when done and garnish with cilantro before serving.

Tips:
Beans should never be cooked with tomatoes or lemon/tamarind. They will take longer time to cook.
You could add few drops of canola/coconut oil to the water when cooking the beans, this reduces cooking time and the beans cook well ,not mushed.
Crushed garlic retains its medicinal properties compared to sliced ones and best to let them sit for 10mins before cooking them.

This post is very special to me, as it is my first post from my new VaioDuo (Mothers Day gift by hubby).

Ciao till my next post, hopefully soon.