Mixing pulses and dried beans with greens is a match meant to be 🙂 somehow the bite of the beans goes very well with the soft cooked greens. When I mix beans with greens, I try to use robust greens such as kale, chards, mustards etc. I am particularly very fond of Swiss chards. They come full green, or red or rainbow which is a mix of yellow, red and orange. The stems of the chards are also completely edible and cooks well. Chards have a sweet aroma but at the same time do not over power any dish. Being a robust green they take a longer duration to cook and hence the reason to mix them with beans.
Adzuki beans are the smaller versions of the kidney beans. They are bright red and identical to kidney beans just smaller in size. Adzuki are also called ‘chori’ or ‘chauri’ in Indian cuisine. Cooks well and takes to the seasoning that we add. Adzuki is the dried part of the pods of long beans vegetable. After these long beans have matured, the inside peas are removed and dried.
I soaked these overnight as part of my weekly routine to soak 2 beans over the weekend. This comes very handy during the week. This dish can also be made with non-soaked beans in the InstantPot, just double the cooking time.
Continuing my praises of the Instant Pot, once again this dish comes together quickly because of the soaked beans.
Make a simple gravy by grinding together staples like onion, tomatoes with spices and herbs. I use double portion of ginger to make it the predominant flavor. I also use peppercorns to intensify the spice. Add the beans and chopped chards. Set the timer. All it took was 6 minutes under pressure. Steaming hot, chewy beans with creamy chards is ready !
Adzuki Beans with double Chards recipe
Ingredients –
For the gravy – grind to a paste –
- Onion – chopped – 1 small
- Tomato – chopped – 1 small
- Ginger – 4 inch piece
- Green chillies – 2-3
- Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
- Peppercorns – 1 tsp
- Adzuki beans – soaked overnight – 2 cups
- Swiss chards – 2 bunches – 1 green and 1 red
- Onion – chopped finely – 2 tbsps
- Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
- Oil for seasoning – 2 tsps
Procedure –
- Soak the adzuki beans overnight and store it in the fridge until ready to use, this can be done several days in advance
- Start the Instant Pot in Saute mode
- Add oil, cumin seeds and chopped onions
- Add the paste, add the beans and the chopped chards
- Add 4 cups of water, salt
- Cook with pressure for 6 minutes
- Let it cool naturally
- Serve with rice or roti and a side of freshly chopped cucumber
