Lab-Lab Beans aka Hyacinth Beans Chundal

Chundal ('ch' as in chair, not choir) is a specialty around Navarathri time - the nine nights, ten days long Indian festival going on right now. Each of the nine evenings, a different chundal is on the menu along with a sweet dish.

Almost all beans and pulses and lentils are fair game for making this style of chundal, referred to as sundal by most Tamilians. Black chickpeas, green chickpeas, chickpeas, dried peas,  kidney beans, white navy beans, black turtle beans, black-eyed peas, as well as the top favorite Lab-lab beans aka hyacinth beans aka mochakottai.

Soak the dried lab-lab beans overnight. Drain and pressure cook with salt till cooked but not mushy. This is the tricky part as lab-lab beans is pretty tough to cook quickly. Sometimes, I've had to pressure cook it twice to get the right consistency - firm to the touch and holding shape, but soft melt-in-the-mouth texture when eaten.

Fairly quick and easy to make, with the main flavoring coming from tempering*, plus grated ginger and green chilies, this is a low-fat protein-rich snack that kids enjoy at home.

*Tempering: Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, add a teaspoon of urad dal; when it turns golden brown, add mustard seeds; when they pop, add some cumin seeds, torn curry leaves, grated ginger and finely sliced green chilies. Add in the cooked lab-lab beans, adjust salt to taste and serve warm. Optionally, fresh grated coconut can be stirred in as well.

Bitter Gourd Bean Bites

Sometimes  recipes come about because I am trying to use up bits and pieces, odds and ends, from the fridge before it is beyond salvaging.

About half a cup of slow-cooked spicy beans and one large bitter melon were ignoring each other in the fridge. So, I decided to bring them together in this dish.

Instead of the beans, can use any leftovers like ground meat or mashed potatoes or even herbed goat cheese and feta.

Ingredients

½ cup slow-cooked flavorful black beans or pinto beans

1 large bitter melon

1 Tablespoon tamarind concentrate (sold as Sour Soup Mix in Asian stores)

1 Tablespoon chopped chipotle in adobo sauce

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

salt to taste

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil

Cilantro and toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Preparation:

1. Cut the bitter melon lengthwise in half, scoop out the pulpy innards with seeds, chop into bite-sized pieces, sprinkle some salt and allow to sit on a towel to drain for about 10 minutes
2. Pre-heat the oven to 425°F
3. Arrange the bitter melon pieces on a greased roasting pan; add a drop each of tamarind concentrate and adobo sauce chipotle; sprinkle some brown sugar and salt
4. Bake in the 425°F oven for about 12 minutes
5. Remove from heat, add a dollop of the bean-filling on each piece and cook for about another 4 to 5 minutes, turn off the oven
6. Top with cheese if preferred and return it to the oven for the cheese to melt (with the oven off, the residual heat is enough to melt the cheese)
7. Garnish and serve warm

Smoky Rich Mustard-y Slow-cooked Beans

Every once in a while, I enjoy the pungency of mustard oil in everyday dishes. Sometimes it brings out layers of flavors I didn't know possible. This beans is just a happy accident.

Ingredients
2 cups dry beans, soaked overnight, drained, ready to cook
2 Tbsp mustard oil
1 Tbsp stone ground mustard
½ cup molasses
½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
1 medium onion diced
1/8th tsp ground cloves

Combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook for 8 hours or so till beans are cooked.

Winged Beans Curry

Until recently, I had never seen Winged Beans aka Goa Beans aka Sirahu Avarai (Sirahu = Wing, Avarai = Lab Lab Beans, in Tamil) in the local Asian markets. Now, they're everywhere! And, am glad. I love its flavor and texture and even its appearance.

I went with a very simple curry this time, served with some quinoa.

Ingredients
Winged beans, chopped into chunks
2 Tomatoes, diced
½ medium red onion, diced
4 mini colorful peppers, chopped
4 green chilies, chopped
cilantro for garnish

Flavoring Masala Paste:
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp Nihari masala powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp oil

Preparation

1. Combine the masala paste ingredients. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add the masala paste and saute till aromatic
2. Meanwhile par-cook the winged beans in the microwave with a dash of salt, drain and keep handy
3. Saute the onions, tomatoes, and mini peppers along with the masala paste, adding a pinch of salt
4. when onions are soft and translucent, add the par-cooked winged beans, cover and cook till curry comes together and flavors meld; garnish with cilantro and chopped spring onions if preferred
5. Serve warm with brown basmati rice or quinoa, or even simple roti or naan or paratha

Indian Eggplant, Mustard Greens, and White Bean Soup

Eggplant is probably the most-featured fruit (vegetable) in my recipes here - no secret that I love it. Any chance I get to cook them up is welcome - be it traditional Indian recipes with the small and flavorful Indian eggplant, or the spicy Asian recipes, or any new and interesting way that comes about in my kitchen as my mood dictates...

Small Baby Indian eggplant, Calliope, Neon, Ichiban, Kamo, Black Beauty, Italian, White, Green Thai... all varieties of eggplants are much relished - well, some more than others, of course.

Black Turtle, White, Pinto, Red Kidney beans... Chickpeas... these 5 seem to be staple dried beans I stock up on. Periodically, on a weekend, I soak a large batch of them, and pressure cook them. Then, I prefer to freeze them in small portions to thaw and use as needed.

I pressure cook in a couple of batches - one for mushy beans great for refried beans, burgers, and thick soups, one for firmly cooked beans to be added to other dishes like Red Beans & Rice or Bean Salad.

Anyway, a cup of mushy cooked white beans came in handy for thickening this simple soup, and added enough flavor to make this a delicious weeknight meal. Mustard greens wilt when cooked, so add as much as preferred.

Ingredients
About 5 handfuls of chopped Mustard greens
2 Indian small eggplant, sliced into sections
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, sliced
6 to 8 cloves of garlic
1 cup cooked white beans
1 cup petite diced stewed tomatoes
2 cups water/stock
1 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp asafoetida powder (optional)
1 Tbsp oil
salt to taste

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a pot, sauté the onions and eggplant, add the mustard leaves, beans, the spices, and water
2. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat till vegetables are cooked and the soup is to desired thick consistency

Black rice, Bean salad, and Pan-fried Butternut Squash

'Kadhambam', as they say in Tamil, is a catch-all word for 'combination/mixture' of unlikely things.

Kadhambam is what this dinner turned out to be one weekend:
- a tiny butternut squash was beckoning to be sliced and pan-fried with just a touch of salt+pepper
- a cup or so of black rice bought on a whim from the bulk food store was waiting to be cooked
- last of the Pickled Pearl Onions needed to be used up to make room for others
- a quart jar full of 4-bean salad was developing flavor for over a week and ready to be enjoyed

Black rice was cooked in the rice cooker much like brown rice, with the last of the pickled pearl onions tossed in and a light sprinkling of salt.

Four Bean Salad: Soak and cook white beans, black beans, chickpeas, and pinto beans till firmly cooked, not mushy. Add some chopped zucchini and onions, if preferred. Toss with favorite balsamic vinaigrette.

I make a batch of this Bean Salad (3-bean, or 4-bean, sometimes even 5-bean) on and off and leave it in the fridge to use as salad topper for quick meals - adds the proteins and carbs to the green salad and doubles as a dressing/vinaigrette. 

Mayocoba Beans in Acorn Squash Puree with Okra Brown Rice

Pinto, Black Turtle, Red Kidney, Black-eyed, Navy, Garbanzo, Adzuki, Cannellini, Lima, Fava, Hyacinth... we've been incorporating so many bean varieties into our diet over the years, just what we are able to find at the local markets, nothing exotic.

And, for the first time, a couple of weeks ago, I noticed the Mayocoba or Peruano beans at the grocery store, and promptly bought some to try. Turns out there was some controversy over these beans regarding patents.

These yellow-tinged off-white Peruano or Mayocoba beans are as large as pinto beans. At first, I thought they might taste much like cannellini or navy beans. But, I was pleasantly surprised to taste the rich flavor and meatier feel, which makes for good refried beans.

I soaked it overnight, and cooked it on stovetop, with some salt and brown sugar, till soft and firm but not mushy - about 30-40 minutes for 1½ cups of dry beans in 4 cups water. For refried beans, I prefer to pressure cook it till mushy.

Sometimes, I find it handy to cook and puree the squashes and add them to soups/curries/stews as a base/gravy. I had some acorn squash purée handy which I used here. But, tomato purée or even roasted red bell pepper purée, or a combination of them might taste fine too.

Ingredients
For the Mayocoba beans:
1 cup acorn squash purée
1 cup cooked Mayocoba beans
1 small yellow onion diced finely
1 small carrot, shipped (optional)
1 tsp Madras Curry powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper powder
1 tsp brown sugar
salt to taste
cilantro for garnish
water as needed

Sauté the onions, add the beans and the rest of the ingredients, cover and simmer till flavors meld, garnish and serve warm with bread or rice.

For the Okra Brown Rice:
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 small red or yellow onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
6 medium okras cut on a bias to 1-inch pieces
1 small carrot chopped
Spice Mix: 1 tsp cumin powder, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp ground/crushed oregano, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp paprika powder, 2 tsp dried parsley
salt to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil or hazelnut oil or even coconut oil for a strong tropical flavor

Combine the spice mix, stir well and store in an airtight container. Use as much as needed for flavoring the rice.

Heat the oil in a pan, sauté the onions, add the garlic, a tablespoon of spice mix, okra and stir fry till aromatic; add the cooked brown rice, stir well, adjust seasoning to taste. Garnish and serve warm.

Beans and Rice, Potatoes, and Steamed Cabbage

As unimaginative as Beans and Rice, Potatoes, and Steamed Cabbage sounds, it represents a comfort meal at home. Since we don't eat out much, I like to present "dinner plates" with portioned out variety of menu items. Not only does it help me keep track of what I eat, it also provides a nice gauge for D and the kids, not to mention a nice presentation.

Food Court eateries aren't quite gourmet usually, but, certain menus there satisfy certain moods for me. One such pick I default to when I find myself in a Food Court at lunch time is this combination of Beans and Rice, Potatoes, and Steamed Cabbage+Carrots, topped with some chili sauce. This almost always turns out greasier than I like, but very filling.

The recipe here is nothing exciting: cook the favorite beans and rice together with seasoning, pan-fry some par-boiled and sliced potatoes with onions, steam some green cabbage and julienned carrots. All this can be done in parallel, leading to a quick yet sumptuous meal.

I like black beans and basmati rice for this, but, kidney beans with long grain rice would be good too. Typically, over weekends, I steam some potatoes in the steamer that comes with the rice cooker and store it in the fridge/freezer for later use so it is handy.

For this presentation, I like the rice and beans to be fairly dry, not runny like I prefer the Red Beans and Rice dish. Garnish with cilantro and serve warm.

Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread

Until I came across Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) a decade ago, home-made chili was plain old pinto beans cooked in spicy broth and thickened a bit by mushing some of the cooked beans in the pot,

Since that first time I made a five-alarm chili with cornbread for D's birthday, Chile and Cornbread have become a favorite at home, an inseparable pair in my kitchen. Not the five-alarm kind for me or the kids, though.

Beans and lentils, packed with nutrition, are easy to incorporate in daily diet. This chili can be cooked overnight in a slow cooker. On working days, this used to be my preferred method.

Soak and pressure cook the beans and save them in the freezer (measured into smaller portions so I don't have to thaw the whole batch) during the weekend or whenever I can work it in. Throw the beans, onions, tomatoes, spices, TVP or minced Wheat Meat, together with enough water into the slow cooker and allow to simmer overnight; or start it in the morning before heading off to work and have it ready by dinner time that evening.

There are wonderful cornbread recipes on the web. But here I add my signature flax meal and nutritional yeast. For a quicker version of chili, I sometimes use McCormick™'s Original Taco Seasoning Mix and canned pinto beans with TVP. Otherwise a blend of ground spices work well to adjust the flavors to taste.

Ingredients
For the chili:
½ cup TVP
2 cups cooked pinto beans
1 medium onion, minced
2 or 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
chopped cilantro for garnish
spices:
2 to 3 Tbsp McCormick's Original Taco Seasoning Mix
-OR-
1 tsp each of : chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin powder, coriander powder, onion powder, garlic powder (adjust to taste)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp canola oil
salt to taste

Preparation

1. Heat the canola oil in a pot, sauté the onions, garlic, add the spices and tomatoes and stir till spices bloom a bit, throw in the rest of the ingredients, cover and simmer on medium-low for about 45 minutes, stirring on and off and checking that there is enough water.

For the Cornbread
¼ cup flax meal
¼ cup fine cornmeal
½ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
1 egg
3 Tbsp Smart Balance Omega™ Butter Light
¼ cup milk (plus a few tablespoons more as needed)

[The quantity makes about 6 regular size muffins or a dozen mini muffins]

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375° F and spray or brush some oil in the muffin pan and keep handy
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, stir to mix well; cut in the butter till incorporated; then add the milk a little at a time while stirring/whisking to make a thick yet flowing pancake-like batter
3. Pour the batter into the muffin cups about 2/3rds full and bake in 375° F oven for about 15-20 minutes; check half-way and turn the pan around; it is done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean

Adzuki Beans, Asparagus, and Bulgur Salad

High in iron, protein, soluble fiber, and folate, and low in fat, Adzuki beans is believed to benefit reproductive and kidney function, by speeding up removal of waste from the body and promoting regularity.

Ever since I "discovered" it in the local Asian market and read up on its health benefits, I have been incorporating it more in my cooking over the last year or so. I can't quite tell the difference between the basic Atzuki beans and the Hokkaido variety yet unless I read the label, but, considering that about half a cup per week is all that is prescribed for getting its benefits, it seems hard not to take advantage of its nutritional value.

There are many ways to present these beans, just like any other beans: As bean burgers, as bean soup, in salads and stews, in tacos, in rice, even as plain Adzuki bean soup. Or, just toss a handful into whatever meal I have planned for the night...

Since fusion cuisine is my personal slant, this Adzuki Beans, Asparagus, and Bulgur Salad, has a MediterrAsian feel with Bulgur from the Mediterranean and Adzuki beans and the dressing from Asian cuisine. Roasted asparagus is optional. I had some leftover from previous meal so it was nice to use it up. Serve at room temperature (or slightly chill, if preferred).

Leftover dressing can be saved for up to a week in a cool dark place and used for other salads and sauces, or even as a home-made spring roll dip.

Maybe one of these days I will get around to listing the frequently used spices and condiments in my cupboard, by cuisine. Just like I restock organic ketchup and stone ground mustard, I restock kecap manis and sambal oelek... and since basically "anything goes" in my kitchen, I seem to use them all up at almost the same rate.


Ingredients
2 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach leaves
1 cup cooked Adzuki beans
1 lb of fresh asparagus, cut, and roasted
1½ cup cooked medium-ground bulgur
¼ cup chopped dry apricots
¼ cup coarsely broken toasted walnuts
spring onions and cilantro, chopped

Dressing/marinade:
¼ cup light soy sauce
2 Tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp kecap manis
1 Tbsp sambal oelek
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Preparation

1. Combine the dressing ingredients, stir well, adjust to taste, keep handy
2. Toss together bulgur and adzuki beans; add the dressing a little at a time to desired sogginess and set aside for 20-30 minutes to overnight (in fridge)
3. When ready to serve, place a bed of spinach leaves, pile the salad, top with apricots and walnuts, and garnish with spring onions and cilantro

Collard Greens with Cannelloni beans

When cooked through well, collard greens lose their bitterness and somehow still manage to feel crunchy - one of the reasons it is a favorite with me to make dals/koottus or bite-sized wraps like dolmas. That, and of course, the nutritional value it has when cooked.

This is a very simple recipe with collard greens and cannelloni beans, sautéed with some ginger, garlic, onion, tomatoes and flavored mildly with ground cumin and coriander.

Ingredients
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1 medium tomato diced -or- ½ cup canned tomatoes
4-6 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger root
1 Tbsp ground coriander
½ Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
½ Tbsp brown sugar
salt to taste
1 Tbsp canola oil
water or vegetable stock as needed

4-6 cups chopped collard greens
1 cup cooked (or canned) Cannelloni beans

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a pot, sauté the onions, ginger, garlic, turmeric, cumin and coriander; then add the tomatoes and sauté a bit more
2. Add the chopped collard greens, 4 cups of water or stock, cover and simmer, checking often to make sure there is adequate water (I like this dish fairly dry to eat as a side, but, if having it with rice as a meal, it can have more liquid)
3. When collard green is almost done, add the cannelloni beans, cover and simmer till done; adjust salt to taste
4. I like to add a bit brown sugar to bring out the flavors in the end

three bean salad in tortilla bowl

The niggly thing for me about using the deep fat fryer is it requires a certain large amount of oil first, and then, as am sure I don't want to fry anything else, I have this large amount of used oil to consume somehow. And used oil starts tasting slightly off within a few short weeks.

Anyway, there was plenty of oil left over from making soy corn dogs and onion rings and I decided to make a few cute tortilla baskets/bowls and have them handy.

The deep fat fryer comes with a contraption - just drop the store-bought tortilla, or even home-made chapathi in it, dip in hot oil for a few minutes, and voilá, a beautiful tortilla basket/bowl is ready :)

Either simple green salad, or thick soup can be served in this edible bowl - no dishes to clean up, except the deep fat fryer and its peripherals of course. I just made a simple three bean salad here. The bean salad can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge.

Ingredients
1 cup cooked fava beans
1 cup cooked black beans
1 cup cooked chick peas
½ cup cooked diced beets (optional)
½ medium red onion, diced finely
1-2 jalapeño, died finely (remove membrane and seed to reduce heat)
1 medium tomato diced finely
1 avacado, diced finely
cilantro leaves
flavoring:
1 Tbsp Shatta, an Arabic hot pepper sauce
1 Tbsp finely diced chipotle in adobo sauce
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp avacado oil (or any other oil)
salt to taste

Preparation

combine the beans and flavoring, stir well, adjust to taste; let it sit for up to an hour to develop flavor; garnish with cilantro

Serve cold or at room temperature in a tortilla basket/bowl.

Gallo Pinto

Back in grad students days, I was fortunate enough to have a close-knit group of friends. A wonderful gal from Costa Rica got me interested in Central and South American foods, quite inadvertently. I am sure she doesn't know that this gallo pinto evolved over time to my taste, after watching her make it one evening.

As far as I gather, pretty much everybody in Costa Rica makes this dish and is fairly simple, nothing complicated. Of course, I just adjusted some flavors as i like to experiment.

Gallo Pinto (apparently translates to "spotted rooster"), simply put, is just spiced rice and black beans. But that doesn't do it justice. I like to cook up a large batch as they make good leftovers - wrapped in tortilla the next day for breakfast, with some eggs on the side...

Ingredients:
1 cup dry black beans, soaked overnight (or canned cooked black beans)*
1 cup raw rice
1 small yellow onion, diced
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 chilies (jalapeno, bell pepper, or any mild chili), chopped
2 Tbsp coriander powder
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp canola oil
water as needed
4 cups vegetable stock (optional)
salt to taste
chopped fresh cilantro leaves

*if using canned beans, drain and rinse well before using

Preparation

heat oil in a pan, add the chilies, onions, garlic, some salt and sauté a bit, then add the soaked beans and about 8 cups of water and cook the beans

cook the rice in vegetable stock or water till done

when ready to serve, combine the cooked rice, beans, coriander powder, cilantro, chili powder and brown sugar, stir well over medium heat till well-combined; adjust salt to taste

serve hot with some fresh salsa on the side

Red Beans & Rice

I love rice; and I love kidney beans; and this dish sort of has become one of my favorite "one-pot dish" because it is quick and easy, and just one pot to clean up after cooking.

My favorite way of making this involves sautéeing celery, onions, garlic and tomatoes till aromatic and then throwing in the red beans and rice and cooking them together in water or stock till done, adjusting seasoning per availability and mood.


Ingredients
1-2 standard celery stalk, diced finely
1 medium yellow onion, diced finely
3 medium tomatoes, diced finely
2-3 cloves of garlic (optional)
2 cups cooked red kidney beans
cilantro for garnish
2 cups jasmine rice (or any long grain rice)
1Tbsp canola oil
4.5 cups water



spices: adjust to taste
1 tsp paprika

1 Tbsp creole or cajun seasoning mix (includes salt)

1 small can jalapeno-tomato sauce (El Pato brand is what i like - small green can)
1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp Taco seasoning
1 Tbsp brown sugar

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large enough pot, add the trinity-viz., celery,onions, tomatoes - and sautee
2. add the raw rice and sautee a bit more
3. wash the can of kidney beans and add it to the pot
4. add the spices and water to the pot
5. when water starts to boil, lower heat and let it simmer till rice is done and all the water is absorbed; adjust the spices and salt to taste
6. garnish with chopped cilantro; serve warm