This Afghan kidney bean curry, known as lubya/lubia/lobia depending on how the language is transliterated, is one of my favorite meals. I first had the dish at a local Afghan restaurant and can't get enough of it!
Imagine buttery soft kidney beans simmered in a curry base bursting with the rich flavors of coriander and tomato and studded with lightly caramelized onion and plenty of garlic. Lubya is perfect served alongside fragrant basmati rice with a garnish of cilantro and minced red onion.
Have you had Afghan cuisine before? Afghan restaurants are few and far between in the US, which is a shame as the food is SO good. The cuisine is reminiscent of the Indian-Pakistani food I grew up eating (not surprising, as Afghanistan shares a border with Pakistan), though the spices are used to a different effect.
I find Afghan food to be milder than Indian food, both in amount of spices used and how hot-spicy the dishes are. So while this kidney bean curry looks quite similar to the Indian dish rajma, you'll find the ingredient list simpler.
This afghan kidney bean curry is ultra flavorful, but instead of using a half dozen spices including a spice mix (typically garam masala) as you would typically see with an Indian curry, we use only three spices and let them sing.
Building the flavors:
Whole cumin seed and coriander seed are essential to building the flavor of lubya. They are tempered in hot oil to bring out their best and deepest flavors, then simmered in tomatoes to make a flavorful gravy.
Cumin provides the backdrop with its earthy flavor, while coriander brightens the dish with its floral and sweet tasting notes. We also add some dried mint, not enough to overpower the dish or even cause it to taste minty, but it adds a bit of extra freshness to the curry.
The spiced tomato sauce is blended to a smooth consistency, an extra step which creates the creamy consistency of the gravy and blends the spices smooth. Personally, I'm not a fan of biting into crunchy whole coriander. Blending also makes the sauce a beautiful bright red-orange color.
After the tomato gravy is made, the onions and garlic and sautéed until soft and lightly caramelized. This sweetens the onions, which complements and enhances the savory flavors of the curry. Once caramelized, we add back the tomato gravy, throw in the cooked kidney beans and season with salt and pepper and let everything simmer for the flavors to meld.
One of my favorite things I've picked up on in Afghan cuisine is the way black pepper is used. At least at the restaurants I've eaten at and the recipes I've come across in my research, hot chili peppers are not used in the same abundance they are in Indian cuisine.
Instead, freshly ground black pepper is added in generous portions for a delicious peppery flavor that builds as you eat the dish.
This may be a disappointment for pepper-lovers, in which case you may garnish with fresh minced chilies or fry some up alongside the garlic. Personally I appreciate the differences between Afghan and Indian cuisine and am a huge black pepper fan!
One thing you might notice in my Indian and Afghan recipes is that I like to cook with coconut oil. It adds extra depth of flavor to the dishes that you might miss when you don't cook with ghee. That being said, it's fine to use whatever canola or vegetable oil you'd like.
This Afghan kidney bean curry comes together relatively quickly and super easily. It's super healthy and flavorful, and so satisfying to eat. It's delicious served with basmati rice and a side of vegetable (such as roasted cauliflower).
Even better, make some Afghan leek stuffed flatbread (leek bolani) to go alongside it (in which case, you might as well also make Afghan chutneys)! It's a match made in heaven.
I hope to add more Afghan-inspired recipes in time, it's a little bit of a ode to my Afghan heritage. Some of my dad's family is descended from the Durrani Tribe, and that's about all I know about it. But it's a great excuse to explore the cuisine! You're welcome, belly.
This was one of the first recipes I published to The Curious Chickpea, and we make this dish so frequently that I thought it worth an update with new photos! Hope you enjoy!
If you make this Afghan kidney bean curry, leave a comment below and rate the recipe on the recipe card. And please share your photos with me on Instagram, tag @thecuriouschickpea and #thecuriouschickpea. I love seeing your recreations!
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Afghan Kidney Bean Curry (Lubya)
This delicious Afghan kidney bean curry is made with a spiced tomato gravy and sweet caramelized onions. It's quick and easy to make and so flavorful!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon whole coriander seed
- 1 teaspoon whole cumin seed
- ½ teaspoon dried mint (optional)
- 1 15 oz can (1 ½ cups) whole tomatoes
- 1 small red onion, small dice, some reserved for garnish
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 3 cups cooked kidney beans (2 15 oz cans) , rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste*
- cilantro for garnish
- basmati rice, to serve
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the coriander and cumin and cook for about a minute or until the aromatic and a shade darker. Keep a close eye on them so they don't burn.
- Add the dried mint and the tomatoes and their juices to the pot (watch for splattering!), and mash them a little. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for around 7 minutes until they break down and are saucy. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth, making sure to vent.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot and melt over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to turn golden. Then add the minced garlic, and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes, stirring often so it doesn't burn.
- Once the onions are nice and caramelized add the broth, the spiced tomato sauce, kidney beans, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered on low heat for about 15 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Garnish with cilantro (if desired) and minced red onion and serve with basmati rice.
Notes
*Based on how salty your broth and beans were you might need more or less salt, so it's always smart to start with less and add more to taste
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 199Total Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 505mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 8gSugar: 3gProtein: 10g
Nutrition is calculated automatically so should be used as an estimate.
I just finished making this and it tastes amazing! I had a blend of spices I used instead of the individual ones mentioned in the original recipe. I put a little extra broth and made if soup style and served it with pita bread ? so easy and simple
Hello! I have made this recipe a few times, and I love it! Last night I made this with your leek filled bolani, and it was amazing! My husband and I are trying to start our own blog about cooking food from other parts of the world, and we used these recipes Do you mind if we post an article about our experience cooking your recipes? We would definitely include the link to your posts. Thank you!!
I needed a new recipe for my use of red kidney beans. I love them, but always seem to make the same 2 or 3 dishes. This was delicious, light and refreshening. I appreciated the absence of heat that seems to always accompany recipes for this bean. It almost reminded me of a bean chili, but tastes so much more light and herbal. Thank you.
@EricJM, Well said, Eric! I too was surprized that hot spicy isn't part of this "curry" kidney bean recipe and found it delicious, light & refreshing too! I made it last night night in solidarity with the Afghan people who are in dire circumstances now by no fault of their own - may they find peace, safety and a good healthy life (preferably in their homes, but welcomed elsewhere until that's possible).
This recipe was absolutely delicious. I loved the bit of mint, and the flavor was really nice. However, maybe I missed something, or don't have a powerful enough blender, but we were picking out coriander bits throughout - they didn't totally grind down. Did I just not blend it enough? If I used a mortal & pestle instead at what point would you recommend grinding them?
thanks so much!
@Ryelle, I only had a little bit of coriander seeds and a little bit of ground coriander (adding both together wasn't even as much as the recipe called for). It worked out great -- I didn't have bits of coriander to pick out. I think the seeds broke down/got absorbed by the cooking (I think I simmered longer than the recipe said). Way delicious!
Really delicious and easy! thanks!
I’m sorry but Dear White people, YOU CANNOT CALL EVERY ASIAN FOOD A CURRY! in Afghanistan we do not make curries. There is no curry leaf or
Curry powder involved in this dish. It’s called korma.
That’s cool dude, I’m not white. Curry is a useful word that allows people less familiar with the cuisine to understand what kind of dish it is. If the word helps people find and try Afghan cooking or Indian cooking then I’m going to use it. You don’t need to go around leaving angry comments on people’s websites, I’m sure you have better things to do. Peace ✌️
@Eva Agha, lobya is a stew, not a curry. Its texture and spice mix is different to what you typically call a curry. The previous comment is right although dramatic. Curry doesn't really exist in Afghanistan.
I think it’s delicious. But I agree that bits of coriander seeds do remain.
Nonetheless, I will be making it again and again.
Hi Kenneth, glad you enjoyed! If your blender doesn't take care of those coriander seeds you can dry roast the seeds first, then grind them with a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, then addd them as ground spice when you add the tomatoes. I know that chunks of coriander seed are not the nicest!
Due to our covid19 panic buying, we had more cans of red kidney beans than I knew what to do with so I searched for red kidney bean recipes. Your receipe appealed to me because it only had a few spices. I used ground coriander and cumin (as I already had that in the pantry) and fresh coriander as we had heaps in the garden (I'm in Australia and didn't realise cilantro is the same as coriander for us). I didn't blend it as I liked the chunky consistency of the tomatos and as I used ground spices, there were no seeds to crush up. I also added some shredded silverbeet as we also had that in the garden. Served with a dollop of greek yogurt (we aren't vegan), this was surprisingly simple and very tasty. We will definitely be making this again!
Absolutely delicious. We didn't have mint so skipped that and didn't have cilantro to garnish. But with some brown rice and braised spring greens on the side it was a hit with the entire family. We look forward to cooking more of your recipes - thanks!
I'm very eager to try this. One question: Why is it called curry if it contains no curry in the ingredients?
PS: my partner visited Afghanistan and loved the food.
Hi, I got a little confused with the amount of tomatoes you need. Could you specify in grams please
As mine only served 3 people..
1 1/2 cups = 192g but doesn’t seem enough for 6 people?
I love Afghan food, I made this and it was delicious?
It's 425g of canned tomato!
Ground spices instead of whole seeds?
Hello! I'm going to make this very soon... Can I use ground coriander and cumin instead of the whole seeds? Thanks in advance for your help!
Hi Stacey, yes you can use ground spices! Just add them when you add the tomatoes so that they don't burn.
How should i prepare canned kidney beans for this recipe?
Should I just rinse them or do you recommend that i heat them up a little bit before adding them to big pot?
Yes just drain the liquid from the can and rinse the beans in a strainer, then add then right into the recipe. No need to do anything else!
I thought coconut oil worked really well in this. So much so I added half a tin of coconut milk at the end. Not very authentic I'm sure, but it was very tasty. Great recipe, have made it twice now, and the bolani as well. Thank you.
This is seriously such a great recipe! It has become a staple at our home. We eat it bi-weekly! So easy, satisfying, and the ingredients are cheap but the end result is restaurant quality. I've made it multiple different ways which keeps it interesting. Sometimes I add the mint, sometimes I don't (tastes great both ways!) I read another commenter who used fire-roasted tomatoes, so I tried that and it was fabulous too! I've even taken left overs and added extra spices to turn it into chili the next day. It's the meal that keeps on giving, lol. If you are reading the comment section like I do before trying a recipe trying to decide if your groceries and time are worth it-- this one is! This recipe freezes well too. I make a double batch and save half for nights I don't feel like cooking. Thanks, Eva for sharing this and making it so easy to follow/ recreate!
This is delicious! I made it last night to go with a vegetable korma. Perfection!
I cannot tell you how DELICIOUS this is. I've made it three times already and now make sure that I have multiples of all required ingredients so that I can make it when the craving hits...which means I'm having it tonight. Thanks for my favorite recipe of the pandemic! PS-I have never posted a comment online before so this is a first. 🙂