Beans, beans, the magic legumes – the more you ingest, the more you consume.
I don't think there's a week when I don't cook a sweet potato dish. So, today I come up with a crazy curry dish with sweet potatoes, red beans and chickpeas. A protein-rich food due to legumes, beta-carotene from sweet potatoes and many other nutrients. Coconut milk and spices turn this curry into a delicious lunch, which, served with some brown rice creates a complete meal.
But, as usual, before the recipe we talk about a key ingredient in the dish…
What are the health benefits of red beans?
Red beans, native to Central America, are an important source of protein worldwide. It is used in a variety of dishes: soups, stews, burritos and other dishes from almost every country in the world.
Dried beans should preferably be hydrated and washed before cooking, to reduce cooking time, but also to reduce the amount of antinutrients found naturally in many plants. Antinutrients, such as phytates, lectins and saponins , are substances that decrease the absorption of essential nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, from food. Beans must always be well cooked (I think you know what happens otherwise :D), so that nutrients are available and absorbed by the body efficiently.
Nutritionally, red beans are rich in protein (9g per 100g), fiber (6.4g per 100g) and complex carbohydrates ( 22.8g per 100g). It also contains various vitamins : B9 (or folates, important in pregnancy), K1 and minerals : iron, copper, potassium, molybdenum, manganese.
It is called "the poor's meat" , with a high protein profile among plants. It is beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes , as the starch present in beans is slowly absorbed by the body, its digestion occurring over a longer period of time, which causes the blood glucose to increase gradually. It has a low glycemic index, which measures how much a food affects the increase in blood glucose after ingestion.
Beans also have a lot of fiber (which can cause flatulence in some people) and resistant starch , which plays an important role in proper weight management . Both components are in fact prebiotics , meaning food for probiotics, the beneficial bacteria in the colon. Fermentation of fibers in the colon produces short-chain fatty acids, which are beneficil to colon health, reducing the risk of colon cancer .
Recipe
Curry with sweet potatoes and legumes
Ingredients
- 2 big sweet potatoes
- 1 can red beans of 400g
- 1 can chickpeas of 400g
- 1 can coconut milk 400ml, Sanovita
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ⅓ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
- 2 tsp curry powder
- ½ tsp green curry paste optional, but worth it
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast optional
Instructions
- Cut the sweet potatoes into cubes and boil them in water for about 15 minutes, until cooked. Drain the potatoes from the water after they have boiled.
- In a separate pan, add the coconut milk, curry paste, nutritional yeast and all spices. Stir until the ingredients are smooth and bring it to a boil.
- Add the potatoes, red beans and chickpeas over the coconut milk and let them boil for about 10 minutes, until the composition becomes creamy and the potatoes and legumes absorb from the curry sauce. Taste and see if you need to add more salt (sweet potatoes absorb a lot).
- Serve the composition on a bed of brown or red rice, pre-cooked. Garnish with some fresh parsley and enjoy the dish!
Sources:
- Kidney Beans 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/kidney-beans#nutri
- Resistant Starch Consumption Promotes Lipid Oxidation: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15507129/
- Short-chain Fatty Acids and Human Colonic Function: Roles of Resistant Starch and Nonstarch Polysaccharides: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11427691/
- Intestinal Health Functions of Colonic Microbial Metabolites: A Review: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21840809/
Lavinia Dinca
Nutritionist
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