A healthy diet is when you include as many nutrient rich foods in your daily meals. Adzuki fits that profile. It is high in fiber, protein and manganese. It has been used as a functional food in Chinese Traditional Medicine and other Asian countries. It has properties that enable liver detoxification, have anti-diabetic effects and is also used for lowering blood pressure. If you can include these beans in your diet once a week you will gain greatly from it’s health inducing properties. Adzuki beans are also easier to digest than other beans and in fact can aid digestion because of it’s high fiber content.
Ingredients:
2 cups Adzuki beans
4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1 medium onion sliced
4 garlic pods
4 tbsp olive oil
Bunch of basil leaves
1 tsp lemongrass
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp Black pepper
1 tsp Himalayan salt
1 tsp Red chilli flakes
Method:
Soak the beans overnight – this is to inactivate ‘lectins’, which are a type of carbohydrate-binding protein, though beneficial for the bean plant as they protect it from insects, they are indigestible for humans and can bind to cell membranes in the intestinal wall. They are also considered to be ‘anti-nutrients’ as they interfere in absorption of minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorous and zinc.
1. The next morning drain the water and wash the beans
2. Boil the beans once and then let them sit on a low fire and cook for 30 mins
3. Warm olive oil in a pan
4. Add garlic and onions and cook till soft
5. Add basil leaves and lemongrass
6. Add tomatoes
7. Sprinkle in the black pepper, salt, turmeric powder and red chilli flakes
8. Cook over low fire till the oil separates from the sauce. This should take about 30 mins.
9. Now combine the beans and tomato sauce in a pan for 5 mins and then it will be ready to serve
You can enjoy the beans with brown rice or even with some toasted sourdough bread!
Healthy Balance 