Adzuki Beans
Red Beans Packed with Protein
Adzuki Beans pronounced Ah-zoo-key has several fantastic health benefits. Apart from helping with weight loss, these little red beans are also useful for managing diabetes, optimising digestion, increasing energy levels and great for detoxing.
It may be small, but the adzuki bean has a lot to offer. Firstly, it's highly versatile. Many sweet dishes made in Asia use red bean paste from adzuki beans to make desserts and cakes. You can also use it to make ice-cream or a topping for waffles, biscuits and bread. As a savoury option, you can use the beans in a green salad or rice salad in a Pilaf styled dish with couscous or quinoa, in soups or added to lentil dahl. This particular bean has a unique flavour and an abundance of nutrients excellent for heart health.
A high dietary fibre content means excellent digestive support and good peristaltic movement. Dietary fibre also regulates the activity of insulin receptors in the body to help keep blood sugar levels regular.
Adzuki is native to East Asia and the Himalayan region. It's popular in Japan, China and Korea. Mostly, you'll come across the red beans, but they do come in white, black and mottled varieties too.
Adzuki Beans
Red Beans Packed with Protein
Aduki beans contain folate, potassium, magnesium and dietary fibre which all combined into a powerful cardiovascular boost. Dietary fibre helps balance cholesterol, and potassium relaxes blood vessels and increases blood flow reducing blood pressure and strain on the heart.
Protein in adzuki beans gives your body essential amino acids needed by the body to create new cells, tissue and organs. The source of protein is especially important for vegans and vegetarians. Combined dietary fibre and protein will make you feel full without too many kilojoules. Half a cup of beans is equal to 150 calories. This means lots of nutrition for fewer kilojoules.
Molybdenum is a reasonably uncommon trace mineral but found in quite high concentrations in the adzuki bean. It's a perfect liver detoxification agent. Most people think of beans as savoury, but adzuki beans are traditionally used in sweet dishes.
Before cooking the beans, they need to be soaked for about two hours beforehand, or overnight is even better. Once you've finished with soaking them, throw the water away and add fresh water to cover and boil them for about an hour. If it's for bean paste, it's a good idea to soak the beans overnight. Cook them for an hour and then blend until smooth. You can also fry them in olive oil or coconut oil once they are combined to give an extra taste or if you want a sweet bean paste. Add a sweetener before you blend them. Bean paste will keep in a jar in the fridge for up to a week.
Red Beans
Adzuki Bean Burger Patties
Ingredients
1 cup of cooked mashed sweet potato
1 cup of cooked adzuki beans
1/2 teaspoon of Himalayan salt
1/2 teaspoon of Cajun spice or Garam Masala
1/4 teaspoon of finely chopped chilli
Two tablespoons finely chopped red onion
One tablespoon of nutritional yeast
2-4 tablespoons of flour use whole wheat or any gluten-free variety
Two tablespoons rolled oats
One tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup rolled oats to coat patties
Preparation
1) Mix all the ingredients (except the last one) together thoroughly until you have a nice sticky mixture.
2) Flour your hands so that the mixture doesn't stick and form into patties shapes then roll them in oats
3) Bake for about 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 160 degrees Celsius.
Makes 7-8 patties
Adzuki Beans - Chocolate Bean Cake
Ingredients
1 and 1/4 cups of cooked adzuki beans
Six large eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
Two tablespoons of baking powder
Six tablespoons of coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
Preparation
Heat your oven to 160 degrees Celsius
Grease a standard size cake pan with coconut oil then dust with raw cacao
3) Blend on high the beans, 3 of the eggs, vanilla and salt until the beans are entirely broken down, and your mixture is lump-free
4) Add the baking powder to cacao powder
5) Then in a separate bowl, cream the coconut oil and honey together. Once that's done, add the last of the eggs.
6) Add the bean mixture and then the cacao powder. Mix on high for a few minutes. You may need to add a bit of water if it seems too dry.
7) Bake for 40 minutes, then cool. It's best to let it sit for a few hours before eating
Adzuki Beans - Red Bean Ice Cream
Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar or Xylitol
3 egg yolks
1 cup dairy milk or coconut milk
1 cup red bean paste
1/2 cup cooked red beans
1 and 1/2 cups thick cream
Preparation
1) beat the sugar and egg yolks together in a medium bowl
2) heat your choice of milk until just boiling remove from heat and whisk quickly into the egg mixture
3) Pour back into the pot on low heat and keep stirring for about 5 minutes until it thickens. Watch out that the bottom of the pan doesn't burn your mixture.
4) Spoon in the bean paste and mix well. Then add the whole beans
5) Stir in the cream and do a final thorough mix
6) Let it cool and then freeze until set
Serves 6
Adzuki Beans - Smoothie
Ingredients
Two large frozen bananas peeled and chopped
One dried fig
1/2 cup cooked adzuki beans
2 cups coconut or almond milk
Blend everything into a smooth liquid. Drink and enjoy
Vegetarian Adzuki Bean Burger Patty
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Please take note that the information on this site is designed for educational purposes and is intended solely for a general readership. The contents herein are not intended to offer any personal medical advice or to diagnose any health issues you may have. This information is also by no means a substitute for medical care by a licensed healthcare provider. For that, you'd need to consult your medical doctor or a health care practitioner for any advice should you require prescription medication.
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