South Indian White Bean Dip

By raspberryeggplant • January 15, 2011 • 2 Comments

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Author Notes: I got the idea for this from my mom; we were eating at one of my favorite Italian places in NYC's East Village and were served a bowl of whole white beans in oil with red pepper flakes, parsley, and garlic along with our bread. Apparently a similar dish is common in South India, except the garlic and parsley are swapped out for roasted urad dal and mustard seeds - standard seasonings in South Indian cuisine. And so I decided to turn that into a dip for a cocktail party I had some time ago. To my pleasant surprise, it was a hit. And so a dip was born.
- raspberryeggplant

Makes 3 cups

3 cups cannelini beans (or 2 15 oz cans)
1/2 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon urad dal
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 dried red chili (or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes)
1/2 teaspoon salt (only if using unsalted beans)

Drain and rinse the beans. Add to the bowl of a food processor along with the yogurt (and salt, if using) and process until very smooth.
In a small covered saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the urad dal and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
Add the mustard seeds and cover the pan. The seeds will start to pop after about 30 seconds. Let the seeds pop for another 5 seconds and then remove the pan from the heat.
Crush the chili pepper and add to the pan. Swirl the pan to gently roast the pepper.
Pour the mixture into the bowl of the food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.
Dip can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks; bring to room temperature (or heat on low power in the microwave) before serving.