Spicy Adzuki Beans with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Mushrooms

Adzuki beans, also known as azuki or red chori, are one of my favorite legumes. Easy to digest and fun to experiment with, most often the recipes for adzuki beans out there are for sweet treats. I prefer to use them for a main dish to go along with a grain or Indian flatbread, though I do want to try making some red bean moon cakes at some point. Popular in Asia, these cute little red beans contain a variety of minerals, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc and folic acid. Certainly a good choice for vegetarians and vegans too.

I came up with this Indian-style soup that will certainly warm your toes. If you can handle the heat, add a wee bit of fire paste to the pot. This paste is like gold and I always have some on hand. Adjust the spicing according to your preferences and serve with yogurt to help with the heat if desired.

Spicy Adzuki Beans with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Mushrooms

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on February 27, 2012 A dark, rich and earthy spicy curry made with adzuki beans and dried mushrooms Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes Print this recipe Adzuki beans: 1 1/4 cup dried adzuki beans 5 to 6 cups water 2/3 teaspoon turmeric Sauce: 5 to 6 sun-dried tomatoes 1/2 oz (14 g) dried mushrooms 2 tablespoons ghee or oil 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt 3 to 4 fresh green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped 1 large tomato, finely chopped Finish: 1/2 cup fresh parsley or coriander, chopped 2/3 teaspoon garam masala Instructions: Rinse the adzuki beans under cold running water and soak for 6 hours or overnight covered in several inches of cold water. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a large pot along with the water and turmeric. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover and simmer until the beans are tender, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, soak the sun-dried tomatoes and dried mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes. Drain and chop. In a frying pan, heat the ghee or oil over medium heat. Toss in the cumin seeds, and stir and fry until they darken a few shades. Add the chili peppers and ginger to the pan and stir and fry for another few minutes. Now stir in the ground coriander, ground cumin, paprika, cayenne, asafetida and salt. Add the chopped chilies and ginger and stir and fry for another few minutes. Next, add the sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomato, mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until you have a thick sauce. Stir in some of the parsley and about half of the garam masala. Simmer for another few minutes. Add the mixture to the cooked beans and simmer until the flavors are blended and the soup is thickened. Garnish with the remaining parsley and a sprinkle of garam masala. Makes 6 servings

More adzuki bean recipes you are sure to enjoy from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Spicy Adzuki Bean and Brown Rice Salad
Adzuki Bean Casserole
Adzuki Croquettes and Spicy Sesame Sauce
Spicy Adzuki Bean Risotto

A batch of my homemade golden lemon curd provided the inspiration for these lemon curd ricotta pancakes, and I've got to say that they really are among the most extraordinarily delicious pancakes I've ever tasted. Made from a thick batter without any added sugar except for the sweetness of the lemon curd, these are dense, sturdy and hearty pancakes with a bit of "chew" to them. At the same time, they have a beautifully delicate and almost savory lemon taste and fragrance that makes them a pleasure to nibble on even as they come off the griddle without any toppings. But they made for a lovely treat on a chilly morning covered with some extra homemade lemon curd, warmed on the stove top, and with some whipped cream and blackberries.

They're also very easy to make and take no more than 10 minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking. Of course I would suggest making your own lemon curd at home to enjoy the rich butteriness and "eggy-ness" that store-bought varieties can't quite manage, but these pancakes will still be enjoyable if using the latter.

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My Mom was always a whiz at baking, able to whip up perfect cookies, squares, pies or tarts seemingly at the drop of a hat. As I've grown older I've lost most of my childhood sweet tooth, but I still occasionally like to try to recreate some of the flavors of my Mom's baking. One of these treats that I fondly recall is her lemon meringue pies — the intense tart and sweet "lemoniness" of the filling is a taste that still resides in my mouth's memories.

Of course a homemade lemon curd seems like a much more "grown-up" way to recapture this intense lemony flavor, especially as a lemon meringue pie filling is essentially only a lemon curd itself but made with cornstarch instead of eggs and butter. And a jar of rich buttery homemade lemon curd is wonderful to have on hand for spreading on a piece of toast or an English muffin without committing yourself to a pie — although it is wonderful for pies, tarts and cakes or as a sauce for pancakes as well. Or better yet some delicious lemon curd ricotta pancakes that I'll be sharing with you soon. It also makes a lovely gift.

Lemon curd is easy to make at home although it takes a little patience to cook over gentle heat. But the most work is in the zesting of the lemons, and a half hour should see you from start to finish. Many lemon curd recipes use only the yolks of eggs or else require straining to remove bits of cooked egg white — which also removes the lemon zest unless you're adding it at the end — but my method makes the best of both worlds by frothing the egg whites before incorporating into the curd so they cook evenly and smoothly. We definitely don't want to lose the lemon zest!

I've also gone a little against the grain by using brown sugar in addition to the customary white sugar. The addition gives this lemon curd a more rustic-looking gold color instead of the typically vibrant yellow, which is why I call it a golden lemon curd. The brown sugar also lends it a scrumptious undertone of caramel. But you may substitute the cup of brown sugar for an extra cup of white if you are looking for a more traditional result. And of course you may also try this recipe with any citrus fruit — think 5 Meyer lemons, or 4 oranges, or even 1 large grapefruit!

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Pure bliss for connoisseurs of spicy Indian food, I came up with this recipe one evening when I didn't feel like spending time on the net or reading. The result was a fantastic and fiery dish that I have every reason to be proud of — modest girl that I am. If only the local Indian restaurants cooked up a variety of dishes instead of staying with the same menu for years on end without even offering daily specials. Though there are some good Indian restaurants in London, their offerings are restricted to North Indian dishes which is a shame as I really enjoy dishes from various regions of India.

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