Red beans are a key ingredient in Indian and Western cuisine. They are substantial and can be transformed into soups, chili and curries, or used in salads and rice-based dishes, thus representing a source of vitamins and proteins as an alternative to meat; however they can also be enjoyed as a separate dish. If you want to learn how to cook dried ones correctly, you need to know the various stages of preparation and, once ready, you need to know how to integrate them into recipes.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Cooking Dried Red Beans
Step 1. Soak them in cold water for 8-12 hours
Dried legumes must be rehydrated before boiling and cooking them. For best results, place them in a pot full of cold water and let them rest overnight at room temperature.
- You should carefully sort them by hand and rinse them to get rid of dust, debris and any pebbles that are left in the bag; generally just rinse them by placing them in the colander.
- Red beans contain phytohemagglutinin, a lectin from legumes that causes gastric discomfort but which can be eliminated by soaking and cooking them thoroughly; to avoid digestive problems, boil them for at least 30 minutes.
- If you don't have time to hydrate them in water overnight, you can use a quick method. Bring the dried beans to a boil, turn off the heat and let them rest for 2-3 hours; throw away the water you used and cook them as usual.
Step 2. Choose your cooking method
In general, the beans are boiled in water on the stove for a few hours; however there are several techniques, depending on what you have available.
- Another quick and traditional method involves the use of the pressure cooker; soften the legumes in water as usual, transfer them to the pressure cooker, close the lid and follow the specific instructions for the model in your possession.
- Canned beans do not need to be cooked, you can add them directly to the recipe as is.
Step 3. Let them simmer gently for 1-2 hours
After hydrating them, rinse them thoroughly with fresh water and submerge them under a 5-8 cm layer. Close the pot with its lid and bring the water to a boil; at this point, immediately reduce the heat and uncover the pan. Continue cooking over a very delicate heat; the water must move slightly, so that the beans cook as evenly and completely as possible.
- If you want to obtain a creamy mixture, slightly close the lid; if you prefer firmer legumes, cook in an uncovered pot.
- After 45 minutes, check them by squeezing a couple of them between your fingers or tasting them; they should be soft and creamy. When they have reached the consistency you want, you can remove the pan from the stove.
- Stir the beans occasionally to make sure they cook completely and evenly; also check that the water level is always higher than that of the beans, as far as possible.
- You can also cook them with boiling water, but there is a greater risk of them breaking quickly and becoming softer and more floury than simmered beans. You can extend the cooking times according to your wishes until you get the texture you prefer. Overcooked beans are perfect for making dips, curries and many other dishes.
Step 4. Periodically remove the foam that forms on the surface
As the legumes cook, you may notice a reddish-gray foam building up on the water; it is the lactin that comes out of legumes. The best thing to do is remove it with a spoon or skimmer and throw it down the drain.
Step 5. When the legumes are almost soft, you can add the salt and flavorings
It is essential to cook them without salt, otherwise the cooking times become longer and the beans may never even become soft. Although some varieties take longer than others, some legumes (such as chickpeas) should never be cooked in salted water.
- You can add shredded aromatic herbs and vegetables at any stage of the process. If the recipe calls for onion, garlic, carrots or other vegetables, you can add them to the water to soften them when you see fit. If you prefer firmer vegetables, incorporate them towards the end of cooking; if you love a softer texture, be ahead of the times.
- In some preparations it is quite common to add a pork shank or bone to enrich the flavor of the dish; it is a common ingredient in the rice and bean recipe described in the next section.
Step 6. Drain the water if necessary
The cooking times of the beans can vary a lot; a little water is usually added during the process to ensure a uniform result. This means that some liquid may remain in the pan at the end.
- As a general rule, use three parts of water for one part of dry beans; this proportion, in theory, allows legumes to be cooked without any leftover liquid.
- It is not uncommon to keep most of the cooking water to turn it into a tasty gravy sauce; depending on the recipe you are following, it is not always necessary to drain the legumes.
Part 2 of 2: Cooking Red Bean Based Dishes
Step 1. Make the rice with beans.
It is a classic combination of Cajun cuisine, it represents a spicy, substantial and economical dish; it lends itself to many customizations, which means you can adapt the recipe to your tastes. Here is the classic version:
- Brown a small chopped red onion in oil in a pan, adding two cloves of garlic, two celery stalks and a chopped sweet pepper; add 500 g of cooked red beans by mixing them. Alternatively, you can cook the vegetables together with the legumes as described above.
- Pour 600ml of water into the pan along with 200g of rice and, if desired, a pork shank. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on until the rice is ready. Flavor with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and hot sauce according to your tastes; finally garnish the dish with chopped coriander.
Step 2. Make a bean salad
The red ones are perfect for a simple cold salad, a great side dish for grilled meat or for outdoor lunches. After boiling them in advance, follow these instructions:
- Mix 100 g of red beans with the same number of chickpeas, black beans, 80 g of chopped sweet pepper and 30 g of chopped spring onion.
- Season everything with 45 ml of red wine vinegar, 30 ml of olive oil, 5 g of sugar, 5 ml of lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste; let the salad rest in the refrigerator overnight and serve it cold.
- Commercial condiments can replace vinegar and oil; if you like, opt for those flavored with herbs like oregano, basil, thyme and rosemary.
Step 3. Cook a rajma curry
As you boil the beans, add garlic, onions, and other aromatic vegetables as the base of this delicious and simple Indian dish. Red beans are a staple of Indian cuisine and are usually served with roti or other unleavened breads. After cooking, in a separate pan:
- Brown the chopped white onion in ghee (clarified Indian butter) adding three cloves of garlic and a 2-3 cm long piece of ginger; then, stir in three small chopped tomatoes, 5 g of cumin seeds, 15 g of coriander, a pinch of turmeric and 5 g of red chilli powder.
- Add the beans directly to the tomato base. Pour 500-750 ml of water or the cooking liquid from the legumes themselves to thicken the mixture. Continue cooking over low heat, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, flavor with salt, pepper and 5 g of garam masala. Serve the curry with rice, roti, or naan, chopped cilantro, and lime.
Step 4. Cook the chili
It is an extremely common dish in the United States in which red beans are used; whichever variant of chili you plan to cook, legumes are an extra ingredient that goes perfectly (except in Texan cuisine where they are "banned"). Here's how to proceed:
- Sauté about 500g of ground beef in a pan, add the chopped white onion, three chopped garlic cloves, and 45-60g of red chili powder. Cover with 750ml or 1 liter of water and add 150g of cooked beans. Let it simmer without the lid on low heat for 1-2 hours; add salt, pepper and add a dose of hot sauce according to your tastes.
- You can also add chickpeas, black beans, corn, and spaghetti. Chili goes perfectly with tortillas, cornbread and baked potatoes.
Step 5. Make a soup
You can liven up the classic vegetable one with red beans. If you want to prepare a dish "empty fridge" soup is certainly a good solution, since you can cook it with many different ingredients. Here is a basic recipe:
Brown the chopped onion and a little garlic in a pan with a little olive oil; add 1-2 chopped carrots and 100 g of diced white potatoes. Pour in 500-750 ml of chicken stock, vegetables or plain water and simmer all the ingredients. Add any vegetables you have available such as fresh, frozen or canned green beans, corn and 100g of red kidney beans; flavor the dish with basil, salt and pepper according to taste
Step 6. Eat beans as a simple side dish
With the addition of salt and a little cayenne pepper they make for a tasty and simple dish; these legumes are rich in vitamin C, folic acid, fiber, potassium and protein.
