Aduki beans deliver a unique earthy taste to this hearty Mauritian-style curry with snake beans (also known as yardlong beans or Chinese long beans) and green plantains.
Aduki beans, also known as adzuki or azuki beans, are small red beans that are often used in many Asian sweet preparations. I love them in both sweet and savoury dishes as they have a unique earthy is unlike any other beans. The closest in terms of taste would be red kidney beans.
In this recipe, I’ve used sprouted aduki beans (see recipe notes) not only for their nutritional value but also because sprouted beans cook faster than just soaked beans. However, if you are short of time you may use pre-cooked beans as soaked (unsprouted) beans may take more than 45 minutes to cook.
I tend to be a little gentler on spice these days as I adjust to what my body feels like. So, I don’t use chilies as often as I used to, but feel free to add them in as per your heat preference or tolerance.
Plantain adds a nice starchy texture to this curry. If you can’t find plantains (or green bananas), you may replace them with potatoes. In this case, skip the boiling and just pan-fry them until they are 90% cooked before adding them to the curry.
This recipe makes a big pot which is enough to feed a family of 5 or 6. For Kevin and I, it makes a few meals for the week.
Watch Episode #2 of Spontaneous Cooking for the Soul
This series of videos is geared towards a more unplanned cooking and recipes that we cook on a daily basis.
If you’ve watched Episode #1 then you already have a sense of this series. Otherwise these videos are filmed in the spur of the moment whenever spontaneity kicks in. Very often, like for today’s episode, we happen to be preparing a nice meal, so we thought why not just grab the camera and film this too without the usual planning, set up and editing that goes along with the formal videos.
Aduki Beans Curry with Green Plantain & Snake Beans
served with Boiled Basmati Rice
Ingredients (serve 5 – 6)
For the curry:
1 green (or semi-ripe) plantain
1 cup dried aduki beans, soaked overnight and left to sprout*
1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed
150 g snake beans, cut into 5-cm [2-inch] pieces
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing), optional
1 tablespoon minced ginger (make your own)
1 small/medium onion, sliced or diced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced (optional)
10 – 12 fenugreek seeds
6 – 7 curry leaves (fresh or dried or substitute with 1 bay leaf)
2 – 3 Roma tomatoes, diced (fresh or canned is also good)
6 – 7 sprigs fresh thyme (or use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme)
Salt to taste
2 – 3 tablespoons coconut (or vegetable) oil
4 – 5 bunches of fresh coriander (cilantro) for garnish
For the rice (serve 2 – 3):
1 cup basmati rice
1 1/2 cup water
Notes:
*To sprout the aduki beans, drain all the water and leave them in the bowl. Cover with a cheesecloth or paper towel (secure the cloth or paper towel on the bowl with an elastic band if needed).
Leave the bowl on the counter. Rinse twice a day, while gently tossing the beans around in the bowl every time. Sprouting may take 2 to 3 days.
Sprouted beans will cook faster than just soaked ones. So they can be used without pre-cooking in the curry.
If using soaked beans only, pre- cook them for about 20 – 30 minutes.
Directions
Place the whole unpeeled plantain in a pot of water on medium high heat. Boil for about 20 minutes or until the skin is soft enough to peel off.
Remove from the pan and place in a bowl of cold water to cool. Once cooled, peel the plantain and slice into slanted discs of about 5 mm (1/4 inch) thickness. Set aside.
If you can multi-task, while the plantain is boiling, you may prepare the other ingredients (cut the snake beans, tomatoes, rinse the lentils) and start making the curry as follows.
In a small bowl, mix the curry powder, asafoetida, minced ginger with a little water to make a paste.
In a large pan or cooking pot, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Turn the heat on medium-high temperature. Add the onions and garlic (if using) and saute for about 2 minutes.
Add the fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. Once they release their fragrance (about 15 seconds), add the curry paste.
Immediately add a little water if required and roast the curry paste for about 5 – 8 minutes. Keep adding a little water to avoid burning the curry paste.
Add in the red lentils followed by the adzuki beans. Add about 1 cup of water. Stir, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Occasionally add more water and stir as required.
In a sauté pan or skillet on medium-high heat, add one to two tablespoons of oil. Add the sliced plantains. Pan-fry until golden and crispy on one side. Flip and fry the other side. Remove from the heat and add to the curry.
In the same skillet, add a little more oil if needed. Add in the cut snake beans. Toss and pan fry for about 3 – 4 minutes. Then remove from the heat and add to the curry.
Add the diced tomatoes to the curry followed by the thyme leaves.
Stir, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Adjust salt to taste. Turn off the heat.
Garnish with coriander leaves (cilantro).
Serve over rice or with roti.
To cook the rice:
Rinse the rice and drain a few times until the water runs clear.
Place rice with 1 1/2 cups water in a pot.
Partially cover the pot and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, until all the water is absorbed.
Turn off the heat. Cover the pot and let it stand for about 5 minutes.
Fluff the rice and serve warm.
Aduki Beans Curry with Green Plantain & Snake Beans
Ingredients
For the curry (serve 5- 6)
- 1 green or semi-ripe plantain
- 1 cup dried aduki beans, [200 g] soaked overnight and left to sprout*
- 1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed [100 g]
- 150 g snake beans, cut into 5-cm [2-inch] pieces
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida, (hing), optional
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger, make your own
- 1 small/medium onion, sliced or diced (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced (optional)
- 10 – 12 fenugreek seeds
- 6 – 7 curry leaves, fresh or dried or substitute with 1 bay leaf
- 2 – 3 Roma tomatoes, diced (fresh or canned is also good)
- 6 – 7 sprigs fresh thyme, or use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
- Salt to taste
- 2 – 3 tablespoons coconut, or vegetable oil
- 4 – 5 bunches fresh coriander, cilantro for garnish
For the rice (serve 2 - 3):
- 1 cup basmati rice, [200 g]
- 1 1/2 cup water, [360 ml]
Instructions
- Place the whole unpeeled plantain in a pot of water on medium high heat. Boil for about 20 minutes or until the skin is soft enough to peel off.
- Remove from the pan and place in a bowl of cold water to cool. Once cooled, peel the plantain and slice into slanted discs of about 5 mm (1/4 inch) thickness. Set aside.
- If you can multi-task, while the plantain is boiling, you may prepare the other ingredients (cut the snake beans, tomatoes, rinse the lentils) and start making the curry as follows.
- In a small bowl, mix the curry powder, asafoetida, minced ginger with a little water to make a paste.
- In a large pan or cooking pot, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Turn the heat on medium-high temperature. Add the onions and garlic (if using) and saute for about 2 minutes.
- Add the fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. Once they release their fragrance (about 15 seconds), add the curry paste.
- Immediately add a little water if required and roast the curry paste for about 5 – 8 minutes. Keep adding a little water to avoid burning the curry paste.
- Add in the red lentils followed by the adzuki beans. Add about 1 cup of water. Stir, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Occasionally add more water and stir as required.
- In a sauté pan or skillet on medium-high heat, add one to two tablespoons of oil. Add the sliced plantains. Pan-fry until golden and crispy on one side. Flip and fry the other side. Remove from the heat and add to the curry.
- In the same skillet, add a little more oil if needed. Add in the cut snake beans. Toss and pan fry for about 3 – 4 minutes. Then remove from the heat and add to the curry.
- Add the diced tomatoes to the curry followed by the thyme leaves.
- Stir, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Adjust salt to taste. Turn off the heat.
- Garnish with coriander leaves (cilantro).
- Serve over rice or with roti.
To cook the rice:
- Rinse the rice and drain a few times until the water runs clear.
- Place rice with 1 1/2 cups water in a pot.
- Partially cover the pot and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, until all the water is absorbed.
- Turn off the heat. Cover the pot and let it stand for about 5 minutes.
- Fluff the rice and serve warm.
Video
Notes
Leave the bowl on the counter. Rinse twice a day, while gently tossing the beans around in the bowl every time. Sprouting may take 2 to 3 days.
Sprouted beans will cook faster than just soaked ones. So they can be used without pre-cooking in the curry.
If using soaked beans only, pre- cook them for about 20 – 30 minutes. Link to original recipe - Aduki Beans Curry with Green Plantain & Snake Beans - https://veganlovlie.com/aduki-beans-curry-plantain-snake-beans/
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