Sai Viswanath's comforting, buttery bean stew is a Western twist on an Indian dal. He treats similar beans in the usual Indian way—simmered with spices, ginger, onion and garlic—but instead of using Indian lentils and beans, he adds French ...
1/3 cup dried French green lentils, rinsed and soaked overnight
1/3 cup dried black beans, rinsed and soaked overnight
1/3 cup dried chickpeas, rinsed and soaked overnight
1/3 cup dried red or pink beans, rinsed and soaked overnight
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt
In a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and cook over moderately low heat until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and garam masala and cook, stirring, until glossy, about 3 minutes. Gradually stir in the water until smooth.
Drain the soaked lentils, black beans, chickpeas and red beans. Add them to the pan and bring to a boil. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and the cooking liquid is thick, about 2 1/2 hours. Stir in the lemon juice, season with salt and serve.
