Autumn Kidney Bean and Coleslaw Recipe

Early autumn is a lovely time of year to enjoy this ayurvedic vegetarian recipe The coleslaw’s crunchiness is a nice texture against the kidney beans and rice. Any pungency from the beans is counterbalanced with the cooling rice. Raw food is best enjoyed as an accompaniment to cooked food especially in the Autumn as the outdoor temperature begins to drop. I wrote this recipe for Ayurvedic Practitioner’s Association monthly recipe blog. I have been a long standing member of the association and their website is really useful to find a local practitioner to you.

Back to the recipe, Kidney beans should be soaked in water overnight, the soaking water then discarded and the beans cooked in fresh water for around 90 minutes. Listed in the kidney bean ingredients is Ghee. Ghee is a good fat to consume in the Autumn in order to counterbalance the dryness of the Autumnal winds and any dryness that has developed through the summer. You may notice for example your skin is quite dry following the summer sun. Check out my homemade ghee recipe to learn how to make it.

Red cabbage would win 1st prize in a vegetable beauty contest for me. I marvelled at this beauty while I took some photos. However, it is also jam packed with goodness. The stunning red pigment comes from its Anthocyanins, which also contribute to the bitter taste. They have high antioxidant potential helping to eliminate free radicals from the body. It can be hard to find tasty vegetables with a slightly bitter/astringent taste, but for me red cabbage is a great one.

Serves 2

Coriander rice ingredients

100g brown Basmati rice

1 large handful roughly chopped fresh coriander

Drizzle Olive oil

 

Kidney beans ingredients

½ tsp ghee or olive oil

1 small red onion finely diced

1 level tsp cumin seeds roughly crushed

2 large fresh juicy tomatoes

400g cooked kidney beans

 

Coleslaw Ingredients

¼ large red cabbage shredded

1 small bulb of fennel finely sliced

1 small courgette grated

1 tbs Olive oil

¼ lemon juiced

2 tbs walnut pieces

1 tbs pumpkin seeds

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

1 avocado

Method

Put on the rice to cook as per packet instructions. When cooked allow to cool slightly before stirring in the coriander and olive oil.

While the rice is cooking place the tomatoes in a bowl and cover with some boiling water, leave for 2 minutes. Remove the tomatoes carefully from the bowl and the skin should easily peel off, discard the skin. Slice the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds before placing into a blender to liquidize. Then gently fry the red onion in ghee or olive oil until it is translucent, add the crushed cumin seeds and continue to fry for a few moments. Add in the liquidized tomatoes, cover with a lid and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Add in the beans, cover and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave covered while the rice is continuing to cook.

Place all the coleslaw ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Finally, when you are ready to serve slice some avocado on top of the beans.