Your best bean/pea recipe [Recipes]
2010 May 13
It isn't Jean Albert's, but are you interested in another Indian-type recipe? A little jig to the south of Chanatown will put you in Sambhar City. My mother-in-law makes a bean sambhar to kill for. Words cannot describe how much I enjoy them.
Here's what you'll need. Apologies in advance for the vagaries: you know how it is with Indian cooking ;)
2 cups beans (black-eyed peas or kidney beans both work well), soaked overnight
1 onion, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, plum if you can get 'em
2 Tbsp sambhar masala (I don't know what recipe my mother-in-law uses, so Google it and find one you like!)
Kashmiri chili powder
2 Tbsp garlic-ginger paste (i.e. equal quantities of garlic and ginger whizzed in a food processor until, well, pasty)
1 can coconut milk
- Cover beans with about an inch of water and simmer until tender (45 minutes?)
- In the meantime, fry the chopped onion and tomatoes in a bit of oil until the onion softens
- Add sambhar masala, and chili powder to taste. Fry until the water has evaporated and it starts to look dry
- Add garlic-ginger paste, fry for a few minutes
- Add coconut milk, simmer until reduced to your favourite consistency. It should be a lovely orangey-red colour
- (Optional: you can add some chopped spinach at this point, too, and let it cook a bit before proceeding. Works quite nicely.)
- Drain and add cooked beans, cook until warmed through. Serve with rice.
As well, since it's a bean curry recipe, we try to serve it as a meal with something "dry". Crispy fried fish or okra both work really well. Oooh, and a nice, cold beer.
I can elaborate further if need be. Let me know!
Here's what you'll need. Apologies in advance for the vagaries: you know how it is with Indian cooking ;)
2 cups beans (black-eyed peas or kidney beans both work well), soaked overnight
1 onion, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, plum if you can get 'em
2 Tbsp sambhar masala (I don't know what recipe my mother-in-law uses, so Google it and find one you like!)
Kashmiri chili powder
2 Tbsp garlic-ginger paste (i.e. equal quantities of garlic and ginger whizzed in a food processor until, well, pasty)
1 can coconut milk
- Cover beans with about an inch of water and simmer until tender (45 minutes?)
- In the meantime, fry the chopped onion and tomatoes in a bit of oil until the onion softens
- Add sambhar masala, and chili powder to taste. Fry until the water has evaporated and it starts to look dry
- Add garlic-ginger paste, fry for a few minutes
- Add coconut milk, simmer until reduced to your favourite consistency. It should be a lovely orangey-red colour
- (Optional: you can add some chopped spinach at this point, too, and let it cook a bit before proceeding. Works quite nicely.)
- Drain and add cooked beans, cook until warmed through. Serve with rice.
As well, since it's a bean curry recipe, we try to serve it as a meal with something "dry". Crispy fried fish or okra both work really well. Oooh, and a nice, cold beer.
I can elaborate further if need be. Let me know!
2010 May 13
Thanks a lot, Momomoto, Indian is really my fav so love most dishes.
I first fell in love with beans through the cooking of an Afghan lady that was a friend of my moms. She would sometimes make Afghan rice or beans and bring some over and it was delicious. Both quiet similar to their counterparts in India, Biriyani and Chana Masala.
I first fell in love with beans through the cooking of an Afghan lady that was a friend of my moms. She would sometimes make Afghan rice or beans and bring some over and it was delicious. Both quiet similar to their counterparts in India, Biriyani and Chana Masala.
2010 May 13
Glad I could help!
Let's keep the ball rolling. Here's the baked beans recipe I use. I think I've posted it before, but whatever. It's a little number from the show Man-Made Food. (Is that show even on any more? I thought it was great.)
As baked beans recipes go it isn't really anything special, but it is worth pointing out that the smoked pork hock is so very delish.
1 pound Navy beans
1 medium cooking onion, peeled and left whole
1 bay leaf
1 large sprig of thyme
1 pound smoked pork hock
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup molasses
1 tablespoon mustard powder
1 cup passata (I get mine from Nicastro's/La Bottega)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1. Soak the beans in a lot of water overnight to soften.
2. Preheat an oven to 300°F.
3. Drain the beans, discarding the soaking liquid. Place the beans in a large stainless steel pot and cover with cold water. Bring the beans to the boil over high heat and skim any scum which rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the beans until they begin to soften (30 to 45 minutes.)
4. Drain the beans and pour into a Dutch oven or heavy ceramic casserole.
5. Bury the whole onion, bay leaf, thyme and smoked pork hock in the beans.
6. In a bowl, combine the maple syrup, molasses, mustard and passata and whisk together. Pour this mixture over the beans. Do not salt the beans at this point as this will toughen the beans.
7. Add enough water to the beans to barely cover and put the lid on the casserole.
8. Place the beans into a preheated oven and cook for 4 to 5 hours. Check the beans during cooking to ensure that they are not drying out and if necessary add more water. Remove the lid in the final hour of cooking to allow the sauce to thicken. When done the beans should be meltingly soft.
9. Remove the beans from the oven and discard the onion, thyme and bay leaf. 10. Remove the pork hock, shred the meat and discard the fat and bones.
11. Return the meat to the beans and season to taste with salt and pepper prior to serving.
Let's keep the ball rolling. Here's the baked beans recipe I use. I think I've posted it before, but whatever. It's a little number from the show Man-Made Food. (Is that show even on any more? I thought it was great.)
As baked beans recipes go it isn't really anything special, but it is worth pointing out that the smoked pork hock is so very delish.
1 pound Navy beans
1 medium cooking onion, peeled and left whole
1 bay leaf
1 large sprig of thyme
1 pound smoked pork hock
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup molasses
1 tablespoon mustard powder
1 cup passata (I get mine from Nicastro's/La Bottega)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1. Soak the beans in a lot of water overnight to soften.
2. Preheat an oven to 300°F.
3. Drain the beans, discarding the soaking liquid. Place the beans in a large stainless steel pot and cover with cold water. Bring the beans to the boil over high heat and skim any scum which rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the beans until they begin to soften (30 to 45 minutes.)
4. Drain the beans and pour into a Dutch oven or heavy ceramic casserole.
5. Bury the whole onion, bay leaf, thyme and smoked pork hock in the beans.
6. In a bowl, combine the maple syrup, molasses, mustard and passata and whisk together. Pour this mixture over the beans. Do not salt the beans at this point as this will toughen the beans.
7. Add enough water to the beans to barely cover and put the lid on the casserole.
8. Place the beans into a preheated oven and cook for 4 to 5 hours. Check the beans during cooking to ensure that they are not drying out and if necessary add more water. Remove the lid in the final hour of cooking to allow the sauce to thicken. When done the beans should be meltingly soft.
9. Remove the beans from the oven and discard the onion, thyme and bay leaf. 10. Remove the pork hock, shred the meat and discard the fat and bones.
11. Return the meat to the beans and season to taste with salt and pepper prior to serving.
2010 May 13
If you love chana masala, you have to get yourself some Asafoetida! It's the secret ingredient that makes it taste so good.
It does smell though -- I keep my container inside an airtight mason jar and it still somehow manages to stink up the cupboard. :-)
It does smell though -- I keep my container inside an airtight mason jar and it still somehow manages to stink up the cupboard. :-)
2010 May 13
This is my favourite--a chickpea curry in which you soak and then grind the chickpeas, making cooking time quicker. It's so flavourful. It's from Mangoes and Curry Leaves, by Alford and Duguid, so hope it's okay to post the recipe here. Oh, and it has asafoetida in it--yum. I just keep the container closed and don't find it stinks the place up, unless I'm just so used to it!
Easy Karnataka Chana
1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, or for at least 4 hours in 4 cups water
4¼ cups water, plus up to 3 cups more if serving as a soup
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 green cayenne chilis, minced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds (I am very generous here)
pinch of asafoetida powder
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
about 1½ teaspoons salt
about ½ cup chopped cilantro/coriander leaves (I use closer to a cup)
Drain the chickpeas and place them in a food processor with ¼ cup water, the cumin and the chilis. Process for 20 seconds, scrape the sides and process for 10-20 more seconds. They should be coarse. I usually don't bother to chop the chilis, and end up with more finely chopped chickpeas by the time they are chopped. Be sure to leave some texture--you don't want a smooth paste.
In a deep heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the mustard seeds and cover until they stop popping. Quickly add the asafoetida, turmeric and cayenne and stir. Pour in the chickpea mixture--it will spatter a bit. Stir-fry for a minute to expose all the chickpeas to the hot oil.
Add the remaining 4 cups water and stir to blend well. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the chickpeas are cooked through, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. If serving as a soup, add the extra 3 cups water and bring to a boil.
Add the salt and bring to a simmer for a few more minutes. This may seem like a lot of salt, and I thought it was too much the first time I made it, but after a few minutes simmering it's perfect. Start with 1 teaspoon if you're unsure.
Stir in the chopped coriander and serve. I like this with basmati rice, and make a meal out of it. It keeps and reheats really well, but it will get thicker, so you can add water when reheating if you like.
Easy Karnataka Chana
1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, or for at least 4 hours in 4 cups water
4¼ cups water, plus up to 3 cups more if serving as a soup
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 green cayenne chilis, minced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds (I am very generous here)
pinch of asafoetida powder
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
about 1½ teaspoons salt
about ½ cup chopped cilantro/coriander leaves (I use closer to a cup)
Drain the chickpeas and place them in a food processor with ¼ cup water, the cumin and the chilis. Process for 20 seconds, scrape the sides and process for 10-20 more seconds. They should be coarse. I usually don't bother to chop the chilis, and end up with more finely chopped chickpeas by the time they are chopped. Be sure to leave some texture--you don't want a smooth paste.
In a deep heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the mustard seeds and cover until they stop popping. Quickly add the asafoetida, turmeric and cayenne and stir. Pour in the chickpea mixture--it will spatter a bit. Stir-fry for a minute to expose all the chickpeas to the hot oil.
Add the remaining 4 cups water and stir to blend well. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the chickpeas are cooked through, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. If serving as a soup, add the extra 3 cups water and bring to a boil.
Add the salt and bring to a simmer for a few more minutes. This may seem like a lot of salt, and I thought it was too much the first time I made it, but after a few minutes simmering it's perfect. Start with 1 teaspoon if you're unsure.
Stir in the chopped coriander and serve. I like this with basmati rice, and make a meal out of it. It keeps and reheats really well, but it will get thicker, so you can add water when reheating if you like.
iheartsamosa