Thursday Recipe - Black Beans, Indian Style

I ran across a vegan slow-cooker recipe book at the library and decided to take a look. The book had recipes from all over the globe. I tried this one out on a whim. I'm glad I did.

Can you cook Indian food without peppers or paprika? Yep. And it's tasty, too.

Fenugreek seeds can be found at an Indian market, if you're lucky enough to have one around. You might be able to find them at your local grocery store, you could ask to see if they ever carry them. Or you can order some online. They give a distinctive flavor to the dish so it's worth trying to track some down. If you cook much Indian food, you'll want to have some on hand.

Black Beans, Indian Style

1 c. dried black beans
4 c. water
1/3 c. onion, chopped small
1 t. butter
2 t. salt
1 t. ground black pepper
1/2 t. fennel seed
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. ginger
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. fenugreek seeds

Put onion and butter in 2-qt crockpot. Cook on high for about 30-45 minutes. Butter should melt and onion should get soft. Add spices. Let cook for another 15 minutes.

Rinse dried beans. Put in a saucepan, cover with water. Bring to boil over high heat. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes.

Drain beans. Rinse with warm water. Add beans to crockpot. Bring fresh water to a boil; add to the crockpot to cover beans.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, until beans are tender.