Lima Bean Curry Recipe (Easy, Vegan, 25-Min)
This lima bean curry is a creamy, deliciously spiced coconut curry made with frozen lima beans. It’s a vegan dish you can have on the table in less than 30 minutes, with only 10 ingredients, and it’s a great way to turn a bag of frozen lima beans into a comforting weeknight dinner.
I love this curry because, to me, it’s quick comfort food. I usually spend about 25 minutes making it, and I only need 10 ingredients.
If you make curry often, you probably already have the spices on hand. If not, you can find them on Amazon, and you’ll likely use most of them in simple sautés and grilled dishes beyond this one recipe.
A Quick Glance at this Lima Bean Curry
- Fast and easy. Ready in about 25 minutes with just 5 minutes of prep.
- Only 10 ingredients, most of which double as pantry staples for other curries and sautés.
- Naturally vegan and dairy-free.
- Budget-friendly, at about $8 a serving.
- Freezer-to-pan convenience. No soaking or thawing the lima beans ahead of time.
- Great for meal prep, since it reheats well for weekday lunches.
What Can You Make with Lima Beans?
Lima beans are a versatile legume that works well in:
- Curries, like this one, where frozen lima beans simmer right in a spiced coconut sauce
- Salads, such as this quinoa salad with chickpeas, swapping in lima beans for extra texture
- Grain bowls, like this cumin coriander spiced tofu veggie bowl
- Soups and stews, where they hold their shape well and add a buttery texture
- Simple sides, sautéed with garlic and herbs
Lima beans are also sometimes called butter beans. They’re the same bean at different stages of maturity, just called different names depending on the region.
Lima Bean Recipes: What You Need to Know
Frozen lima beans are the easiest option for this curry. They don’t need to be soaked or thawed. You can add them straight from the freezer, and they heat through directly in the simmering sauce.
The base of this curry follows the same formula as a lot of other Sri Lankan curries on here in which onion, ginger, and garlic are sautéed first, and then warm spices, coconut milk, and tomatoes are added to build a rich sauce. Once you have that formula down, you can swap lima beans for other vegetables or beans and use the same method.
Ingredients
You’ll need 10 ingredients:
- Frozen lima beans. No need to soak or thaw; they go straight into the pan frozen.
- Onion. Fresh is best, though pre-chopped onion from the produce section works to save time.
- Ginger. Fresh ginger is a must here, and pre-peeled, pre-chopped ginger is available at most grocery stores if you want to cut down on prep.
- Garlic. Fresh garlic cloves round off the onion-ginger-garlic base that’s central to Sri Lankan cuisine.
- Coriander. Ground coriander adds a smoky, tangy flavor, and it’s not one to skip.
- Smoked paprika. This rounds off the other spices well.
- Turmeric. Adds tang and color. Use a light hand, since too much can taste metallic.
- Cayenne. The one ingredient you can leave out if you prefer a milder curry.
- Coconut milk. Good coconut milk makes this curry creamy and luscious. A full-fat, thick coconut milk with no shreds of coconut gives the best texture.
- Crushed tomatoes. Packaged crushed tomatoes work well, as do finely chopped fresh tomatoes or fire-roasted tomatoes for extra flavor, like in this three bean curry.
Plus oil for sautéing, salt and pepper to taste, and chopped cilantro to garnish.
How to Make this Lima Bean Curry
- Prep the aromatics. Peel and chop the onion, ginger, and garlic.
- Sauté. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic and sauté for 7–10 minutes, stirring often.
- Build the curry. Add the coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, cayenne, coconut milk, crushed tomatoes, and frozen lima beans. Stir well.
- Simmer. Cover the pan and let everything simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Finish. Turn off the heat, remove from the stove, and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve garnished with chopped cilantro, warm or at room temperature.
(The full printable recipe card is below.)
Tips for Lima Bean Curry
- Don’t rush the sauté. Give the onion, ginger, and garlic a full 7–10 minutes over medium heat, stirring often so they don’t burn. This builds the base flavor for the whole curry.
- Keep the lid on while it simmers. Covering the pan keeps the liquid from evaporating too quickly.
- Adjust the consistency. If the curry is thicker than you like, stir in a little water or vegetable stock to thin it out.
- Season at the end. Add salt and pepper once everything is cooked so you can taste and adjust according to suit your preference.
- Use frozen lima beans straight from the freezer. No need to thaw first; they cook through right in the sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. They come from the same plant, just at different stages of maturity, and different regions use different names for them.
The recipe is written for frozen lima beans, which don’t need soaking or thawing. If you’d like to use fresh or dried lima beans, you’ll need to cook them until tender before adding them to the curry, since raw fresh or dried beans need longer cooking than this curry’s simmer time allows.
No. Frozen lima beans can go straight into the curry. They heat through as the curry simmers.
Yes, it’s made with oil, vegetables, coconut milk, and spices, with no animal products.
This Lima bean curry can be served with rice and roti for a quick weeknight dinner.
For a more elaborate meal, this curry can be served with yellow rice, zucchini curry, chickpea spinach curry, some broccoli croquettes, and tomato chutney.
Stir in a little water or vegetable stock until it reaches the consistency you like.
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, leftovers of this curry last about 5 to 7 days.
Lima Bean Curry Recipe (Easy, Vegan, 25-Min)
Print Pin RateIngredients
- 1 cup Frozen Lima beans
- 1 Yellow onion
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 inch Ginger (approximately 2 teaspoons)
- 3 teaspoons Coriander
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne (can be omitted for a mild curry)
- 1 cup Coconut milk
- 1 cup Crushed chopped tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cilantro to garnish
Instructions
- Peel and chop the onion, ginger, and garlic.
- Add the oil to a large, heavy bottom pan and add the peel and chopped onion, ginger, and garlic and sauté about 7–10 minutes, stirring often.
- Then add in the coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, cayenne, coconut milk, chopped crushed tomatoes, and frozen Lima beans and stir well.
- Cover the pan and let the ingredients simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Turn the stove off, remove the pan from the heat and season the Lima bean curry with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with chopped cilantro.
Notes
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Skipping the sauté time. Rushing the onion, ginger, and garlic leaves the curry tasting flat. Give it the full 7–10 minutes. Leaving the pan uncovered while simmering. This lets too much liquid evaporate and can leave the curry drier than intended. Keep the lid on. Using too much turmeric. A little goes a long way; too much can make the curry taste metallic. Not adjusting the thickness. If the curry turns out too thick for your taste, add a splash of water or vegetable stock rather than leaving it as is. Adding frozen lima beans too early or too late. They go in with the other ingredients, not before the sauté and not as an afterthought after simmering, so they have time to heat through evenly. Under-seasoning. Since salt and pepper are added at the end, taste before serving and adjust so the spices come through fully.Would You Like to Save This?
Enter your email and I’ll send you this recipe to you. Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!
Nutrition
Would You Like to Save This?
Enter your email and I’ll send you this recipe to you. Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!
So easy and delicious to make this lima bean curry!
We love lima beans. This curry was an easy dish to make that our family loved. So tasty!