Red kidney beans
Punjabi Rajma
02/16/10 Filed in: Beans
Red kidney beans are the stars of this creamy dish which can be used as an entre or as a side dish. I like to serve punjabi rajma by itself with some warm whole wheat pita, but it also goes nicely with brown basmati rice and some sauted greens.
This is an adaptation of another of Madhur Jaffrey's recipes. This recipe is dairy free so I replaced the butter and heavy cream with coconut milk and oilve oil. I chose So Delicious coconut milk to create the creamy texture that heavy cream would create without imparting a distinct coconut flavor. Other milk substitutes could also be used such as soy creamer or hemp milk. Both are thicker than regular soy or almond milk and thus would add to the creamy texture of the dish.
To save time, set your beans to soak overnight. Place the beans in a heavy cooking pot with water several inches above the beans and just leave on your counter while you sleep. In the morning you will find the water has been put to good use and the beans are swollen and ready to cook.
Alternatively, you can add your water and beans to a heavy pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat off and let the beans sit for one hour.
Once beans have soaked, add them to your heavy pot with your three slices of ginger and water. Bring to a boil and let cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for one hour. Discard your ginger slices.
Take a potato masher and mash up about half of the beans. (You can also remove half of the beans and puree in a blender or food processor and return to the pot. However, you will have all the more to clean at the end.) Mashing the beans adds to the creamy texture of the dish. Add the salt, lemon juice, garam masala, and the coconut milk. Stir to mix.
Add oilive oil to a small frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and cook a few seconds. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until garlic starts to brown. Add the chilies whole, stir a few seconds and then add the entire spice mixture to the beans. Mix in.
Remove the chilies before serving.
Ingredients List:
11/2 cups red kidney beans
6 cups water
3 slices of unpeeled ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
2/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk- not canned
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 clove garlic
2 dried, hot chilies
A cup of cooked kidney beans provides 43% of the daily fiber requirements. Why is fiber so important? Soluable fiber forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract which binds with bile and moves it out of the body. Cholesterol resides in this bile. (Can we say, yum?) Insoluable fiber creates stool bulk and prevents constipation, which in turns helps prevent irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulitis. Fiber helps to stabilize blood sugars and lowers cholesterol levels. Those slow burning complex carbohydrates (Yes, carbs are good.) provide a steady store of energy.
Eating high fiber foods also helps to prevent heart disease. In addition to the fiber, kidney beans provide folate and magnesium. Folate helps to lower homocysteine levels. Elevated blood levels of homocysteine are an independent risk factor for heart attack or stroke. Elevated levels have been found in up to 40% of patients with heart disease. One cup of cooked kidney beans provides more than half of the reccomended daily intake for folate.
Magnesium also benefits heart health. When there is enough magnesium around, veins and arteries relax, which lessens resistance and improves the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Kidney beans provide 20% of the daily magnesium requirements.
Kidney beans are also a grat source of iron. Having addiquate iron in the diet is also integral in having enough energy to get through the day. Iron is an interal component of hempglobin, which transport oxygen from the lungs to all body cells. It also is part of the enzyme systems for energy production and metabolism. Pregnant, lactating, and menstruating women are all at risk of iron deficiences because of the increased need for iron. Kidney beans can provide 29% of the daily requirements for iron.
When combined with whole grains such as brown rice, kidney beans provide a great source of fat free high quality protein. A high quality protein is one that provides the eight essential amino acids. There are about twenty different amino acids commonly found in both plant and animal sources. When comsumed, proteins are broken down into their indvidual amino acids which are absorbed and used to make new proteins in the body. The essential amino acids are eight of those twenty which the body cannot manufacture on its own. Therefore, they must be supplied through the diet.
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