• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Vidhya’s Vegetarian Kitchen logo
  • Home
  • About
    • VVK YouTube Channel
    • Privacy & Copyright Policies
  • Recipes
  • Shop
    • Meal Planner
    • Cookbooks
    • Amazon Shop
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Instant Pot Recipes » Instant Pot Curry Recipes » Butter Beans Masala Curry | Butter Beans Pirattal

    Butter Beans Masala Curry | Butter Beans Pirattal

    Posted on January 4, 2019 · Last Updated on May 5, 2023 · By Srividhya G · 24 Comments

    232 shares
    • Share83
    • Tweet
    • Reddit
    Jump to Recipe Card Watch Recipe Video
    Butter Beans Masala Curry collage with text overlay

    Butter Beans Masala Curry – a lip-smacking butter beans masala curry with the fennel seeds flavor. This delicious curry is an excellent side for your rice or roti and also a perfect mid-morning or evening snack. Check out the detailed video recipe below.

    Butter Beans Masala Curry served in little white bowls

    Butter Beans Masala Curry

    Yesterday, I posted simple white peas salad under the Elevenses theme that doesn’t require much effort. Today’s recipe is also simple, but you need a bit extra effort to make this delicious curry. The bit extra effort involves some grinding and stir-frying. When you taste this curry, you will be smiling and nodding that the extra effort is all worthy.  Once you have the beans ready, you can make this curry in less than 15 minutes. Yes, that’s all it takes it to make this curry.

    Recently I started to explore a lot of dried beans that are available in the states like northern beans, cannellini beans, fava beans, etc. (recipes coming soon) This large lima beans aka butter beans are one such variety. I have tried the fresh butter beans in India but not the dried ones. Initially, I made this masala with northern beans, and that’s what I posted on my Instagram too. Then I started to experiment the same masala curry with other beans, and we loved the combination of lima beans with the masala, so I decided to post the same for my blog.

    Butter beans closeup

    Other Variations with Butter Beans Masala Curry

    I made this as a dry curry so that I can have it with my tea or coffee. But you add more water and make this as semi-dry gravy and serve along with roti or add more tomatoes and make it like a mild kurma. The fennel seeds add a lot of flavor to this dish and make it versatile. Also, instead of beans, you can add veggies too.

    Butter Beans Masala Curry delicious closeup

    Cooking Lima Beans in Instant Pot

    As always, I prepared my Lima beans in the Instant Pot. I can’t even imagine my kitchen without this gadget now. I just soaked it for two hours and cooked in manual mode for two minutes and released the pressure quickly as well. You can go up to 5 minutes for these beans but not more than that.

    Again, I wanted the beans to be soft, firm and crunchy so this timing worked for us. The cooking time might vary depending upon the quality of the beans as well. I know I am repeating this, but always start with the less cook time and do a quick pressure release and depending upon the preference you can adjust the timing and cook again.

    Now without any further ado, here is the video and the detailed recipe. 

    Butter Beans Masala Curry Recipe

    Ingredients:

    • Butter Beans – 1 cup
    • Water – 3 cups (to soak and cook the beans and also 4 tbsps for grinding the masala)
    • Coconut – ⅓ cup
    • Green Chilies – 2
    • Fennel Seeds – 2 tsps
    • Turmeric Powder – ⅛ tsp
    • Salt – 1.25 tsp
    • Oil – 1 tsp
    • Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
    • Chopped Onion – ⅓ cup
    • Curry Leaves – 5

    Steps:

    • Wash and soak the butter beans for 2 hours and pressure cook in your preferred way. I used my Instant Pot for pressure cooking the beans. I went with manual or the pressure cook mode and cooked it for two minutes (yes, you need two minutes) and released the pressure quickly. Drain the water and allow it cool for 15 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, grind the coconut, green chilies and fennel seeds by adding 3 tbsps of water. Use one to two tbsps of water to rinse the mixer jar and set it aside.
    • Now heat the pan and add the oil.
    • When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and allow it to splutter.
    • Then add the chopped onions and the curry leaves and cook until the onion turns translucent.
    • Now add the ground fennel paste and the 1 tbsp of rinsed water and cook for two to three minutes or until the raw smell of the masala goes off.
    • At this stage add the salt and turmeric powder and mix well.
    • Now add the cooked beans and mix thoroughly. Make sure the masala is evenly spread. Cook it for a minute and turn off the heat.

    Delicious Indian curry served in cute bowls

    That’s it. The masala pirattal is ready. You can serve this with rice or relish it as a mid-morning or evening snack.

    Recipe Notes:

    • You can replace butter beans with beans of your choice like garbanzo beans, northern beans, kidney beans.
    • Adjust the salt and spices according to your preference.
    • You can add more water and make it semi-gravy recipe and serve along with rotis or chapati too.

    P.S. I am sending this recipe for the BM 96. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#96.

    📖 Recipe

    Pin Recipe Print Recipe
    4.34 from 6 votes

    Butter Beans Masala Curry | Butter Beans Pirattal

    A lip-smacking Butter Beans Masala Curry with the fennel seeds flavor. This delicious curry is an excellent side for your rice or roti and also a perfect mid-morning or evening snack.
    Prep Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time15 minutes mins
    Soaking Time2 hours hrs
    Total Time2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: TamilNadu
    Servings: 5
    Calories: 83kcal
    Author: Srividhya G

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup Butter Beans
    • 3 cup Water to soak and cook the beans and also 4 tbsps for grinding the masala
    • ⅓ cup Coconut grated
    • 2 Green Chilies
    • 2 tsps Fennel Seeds
    • ⅛ tsp Turmeric Powder
    • 1.25 tsp Salt
    • 1 tsp Oil
    • ½ tsp Mustard Seeds
    • ⅓ cup Chopped Onion
    • 5 Curry Leaves

    Instructions

    • Wash and soak the butter beans for 2 hours and pressure cook in your preferred way. I used my Instant Pot for pressure cooking the beans. I went with manual or the pressure cook mode and cooked it for two minutes (yes, you need two minutes) and released the pressure quickly. Drain the water and allow it cool for 15 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, grind the coconut, green chilies and fennel seeds by adding 3 tbsps of water. Use one to two tbsps of water to rinse the mixer jar and set it aside.
    • Now heat the pan and add the oil.
    • When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and allow it to splutter.
    • Then add the chopped onions and the curry leaves and cook until the onion turns translucent.
    • Now add the ground fennel paste and the 1 tbsp of rinsed water and cook for two to three minutes or until the raw smell of the masala goes off.
    • At this stage add the salt and turmeric powder and mix well.
    • Now add the cooked beans and mix thoroughly. Make sure the masala is evenly spread. Cook it for a minute and turn off the heat.
    • That's it. The masala pirattal is ready. You can serve this with rice or relish it as a mid-morning or evening snack.

    Video

    Notes

    • You can replace butter beans with beans of your choice like garbanzo beans, northern beans, kidney beans.
    • Adjust the salt and spices according to your preference.
    • You can add more water and make it semi-gravy recipe and serve along with rotis or chapati too.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 651mg | Potassium: 239mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 23.3mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1.2mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @vidhyasvegetariankitchen or tag #vidhyasvegkitchen
    For Video RecipesCheck out My YouTube Channel

    You will love these, too:

    • Instant Pot Vegan Bunny Chow | South African Bunny Chow
    • Manjal Sambar | A Quick Tiffin Sambar with Chickpea Flour & Turmeric
    • Kashmiri Peas Pulav | Instant Pot Pulav
    • Green Peas Kurma | Easy Kurma Recipe
    • Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas Curry | No Oil Curry Recipe
    Butter Beans Masala Curry collage with text overlay
    232 shares
    • Share83
    • Tweet
    • Reddit

    Filed Under: Indian Legume Recipes, Instant Pot Curry Recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Instant Pot South Indian Recipes Tagged With: Blogging Marathon, butter beans masala curry, butter beans pirattal, healthy elevenses recipe, how to cook lima beans in instant pot, how to cooking butter beans in instant pot, Instant Pot Indian Recipes, Instant Pot recipes

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anshuman says

      April 20, 2020 at 1:12 pm

      Hi Srividhya,

      I tried making this and having problem while boiling these in instant pot. They came out very mushy.
      Can you please link the image of beans with their name and if there are any tips to boil them with a good consistency.

      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 20, 2020 at 1:24 pm

        Hi Anshuman, sorry to hear that. In my blog post, you can find the amazon link. That’s where I got it. Here is the link again – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B0420T4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1. The picture of the image is also on the post. I soaked it for 2 hrs and pressured cooked only for 2 minutes and did a quick pressure release. If that’s becoming mushier, try soaking it for just 1 hour and do a low-pressure cook for 2 minutes and release the pressure quickly. See how that works. I think that should help. With the mushy ones you can make a quick dal or a soup. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks Vidhya

        Reply
    2. Chef Mireille says

      February 27, 2019 at 3:07 pm

      5 stars
      there are so many varieties of beans and these are one I have yet to eat – But the curry looks so good now I will have to try these soon

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        February 28, 2019 at 10:41 am

        Thanks Mir.

        Reply
    3. Suma Gandlur says

      February 03, 2019 at 11:19 am

      The flavor base here for that butter beans masala is quite interesting one.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        February 03, 2019 at 3:47 pm

        Thanks Suma.

        Reply
    4. Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      January 29, 2019 at 7:50 am

      5 stars
      I am yet to use this beans in a regular basis. I love the use of fennel and it gives it such a distinct flavor. I am bookmarking this recipe to make soon. So healthy and flavorful!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        January 29, 2019 at 10:15 am

        Thanks a lot, Sandhya.

        Reply
    5. Swati says

      January 22, 2019 at 7:41 pm

      The bowl of beans with coconut masala looks too tempting, can be enjoyed with a cup of tea in winters or some juice during summers!!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        January 23, 2019 at 9:41 am

        Oh yeah definitely.

        Reply
    6. Srivalli Jetti says

      January 21, 2019 at 5:56 am

      Oh I love double beans and enjoy it very much in the biryanis we add, this is an excellent way to have them too!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        January 21, 2019 at 9:22 pm

        Oh yeah, I love double beans in biryani too. Very yum

        Reply
    7. Pavani says

      January 17, 2019 at 3:45 pm

      5 stars
      That is a lovely curry with butter beans. That spice paste must have added so much flavor to the dish. Good one Vidhya.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        January 17, 2019 at 5:53 pm

        Thanks :-)

        Reply
    8. Gayathri Kumar says

      January 11, 2019 at 4:24 pm

      We make Sunday of this type with slightly different spices. With a cup of coffee, this would be divine.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        January 11, 2019 at 8:13 pm

        Oh yeah… Coffee and sundal bestu

        Reply
    9. harini says

      January 09, 2019 at 4:35 pm

      5 stars
      A definitely flavorful one. I love to have these varieties of sundals for a snack. Thanks for the masala idea.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        January 10, 2019 at 9:50 am

        Thanks Harini.

        Reply
    10. Priya Suresh says

      January 07, 2019 at 9:48 am

      Can have this nutritious curry just like an evening snack. How flavourful and protein rich na.. My kind of dish. Simply loving it.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        January 07, 2019 at 10:00 am

        I love this one too. Thanks

        Reply
    11. Varada says

      January 04, 2019 at 9:14 pm

      I like how you used the masala with a host of different beans. Makes a new flavorful dish with little addition effort. Nice one!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        January 05, 2019 at 12:49 am

        :-) Thanks

        Reply
    12. Vaishali Sabnani says

      January 04, 2019 at 5:35 pm

      Beans are full of protein and they are perfect to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee as a mid afternoon snack . The recipe is simple and sounds delicious , must try it sometime .

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        January 05, 2019 at 12:50 am

        Thanks Vaishali.

        Reply
    4.34 from 6 votes (2 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome

    Author Vidhya smiling in the renovated kitchen

    Hello all, I am Srividhya, the person behind this blog. I firmly believe that the mouth is the way to the heart. My blog is all about vegetarian and vegan food with unique and exciting recipes from all over the world. From traditional, authentic recipes to fusion and eggless bakes, you can find it all here! Read more →

    Enjoy My Cookbooks

    Two cookbooks beautifully presented on the table

    Discover the diverse and delicious taste of South India, eggless recipes made in Instant Pot and other deliciousness! Find out more →

    Sign Up to Newsletter

    As Featured On

    As seen on logo banner

    YouTube

    Follow me on YouTube for regular recipe videos and insights from my kitchen!

    Follow

    Disclosure

    VVK is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program - an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate VVK earns from qualifying purchases. Privacy Policy →

    Footer


    VVK is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program - Privacy Policy
    HOME | ABOUT | CONTACT US

    Footer

    ↑ Back to Top

    VVK horizontal logo

    About

    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

    Cooking

    • Sign Up to Newsletter
    • All Recipes
    • Cookbooks
    • Meal Planner
    • Amazon Shop

    VVK is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program

    Copyright © 2025 | VidhyasHomeCooking.com

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.