This curry has the kind of rich and spicy sauce that drew me to Indian food in the first place. I tweaked this recipe from Smitten Kitchen slightly, to tone down the spice a bit and allow more time for the flavors to blend together. After so many recent misses in my kitchen, this dish was right on. It was spicy enough but didn’t make me cry. And although I love Chana Masala, the kidney beans here were a nice change of pace. As for that fluffy white stuff right under the curry, I also traded in my usual brown rice. Details tomorrow in a product review.

1/4 c. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 T garlic-ginger paste
1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and diced
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 t salt
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
1/2 t cumin seeds
1/4 t cayenne pepper
2 (15 oz.) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes in juice

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion, ginger-garlic paste, and pepper, and fry for 5-10 minutes, until browning. Add tomato sauce and spices, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add kidney beans and tomatoes, and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes. Serve over rice, or with naan.

• Main Dishes