Lima Beans Curry with Smoked Beef - Cooking without Oil - A Rongmei Traditional Dish

This dish is a typical Rongmei Naga dish. Back in my hometown, in Tamenglong, we use fermented lard (gunh-nam pui) or smoked meat or fish to add extra flavor when preparing vegetable curries. What ground spices are to the people in mainland India, smoked meat or fermented lard is to us hilly folks ;)). 

Potatoes are used as the thickening agent in our style of cooking. What would this world be without the good ole' potato, i do not wanna know. If you can get your hands on new baby potatoes, nothing like it for this dish. I served it over hot rice but you can have this as a stew and enjoy it with home-made fresh bread.

The smoked beef and the organic turmeric powder (locally sourced) were lovingly parceled across by  my cousin sister residing in Shillong. It is indeed a dish packed with lots of love :D. 

As you read  how it is cooked, you will realize that this is a very simple dish to prepare and not to forget healthy. A definite comfort food when you feel a wee bit low thinking of home :D.

Ingredients:

250 g - Lima Beans, ends trimmed and left whole

200 g - Smoked Beef, cubed

2 - Potatoes, cubed

1 - Onion, diced

1 - Whole Garlic, crushed

3 - Tomatoes, chopped

1 - Green Chilli

4 - Dried Chillies

1 Tsp - Organic Turmeric Powder

3 Tsp - Salt

500 ml - Water

Thumb sized ginger smashed

Fresh chopped coriander for garnish

Method:

Pour all the water in a cooking pot and turn on the heat to full. Add the rest of the ingredients except the lima beans and cook on high heat till the the water starts boiling, reduce heat to medium and cooked covered till the meat becomes tender (about 30-40 minutes). Make sure you stir over and over. Once the meat is tender, put the beans into the pot, stir and close lid and cook for another 10-15 minutes or till the beans are cooked. Garnish with the chopped coriander and serve it with hot rice and dried fish chutney. 

Enjoy!