White Beans with a Spicy Tomato Seasoning

I will admit that this recipe is a little odd – this tomato seasoning was originally intended to go over mung beans, and it had ginger and garam masala in it. For some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to put either of those things on white beans in conjunction with all these other seasonings – so it’s lost a little of its Indian heritage. I had leftovers spread on a piece of whole-wheat naan for lunch today and thought it was great.

2 c. cooked white beans

2 T. oil
2 T. butter
1 ½ T. cumin seeds
1 c. finely chopped onion
1 ½ t. minced garlic
¼ t. red pepper flakes
3 T. cilantro
1 dry pint cherry tomatoes, washed, stemmed, and quartered
salt and pepper

Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the cumin seeds. When they turn dark brown, add the onion. Fry the onion, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and cilantro and fry for an additional 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and continue frying until the tomatoes are cooked and the contents of the pan look thick and pulpy. Pour the entire mixture over the white beans, season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss gently to combine.