Bizarre Bean: Adzuki
Remember yesterday’s post about cheap vegan eats? One suggestion was sticking to staples, like dried beans, so today I’m featuring a bean not commonly used in American cuisine—the adzuki bean.
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The adzuki is a small red bean popular in Japan. In the U.S., it’s most commonly found in macrobiotic cuisine, which is exactly why I was first introduced to it. A few years ago, I worked at the L.A. vegan eatery Real Food Daily, which features macrobiotic meals, and the adzuki was often the “bean of the day.” I can’t say I fell in love with it, but I definitely like it.
It’s a great option if you are someone who normally sticks to just black beans and chickpeas but are looking to shake things up a bit. It’s also a very inexpensive meal option, and with money tight for just about everyone right now, that’s definitely not a bad thing.
Here is a simple preparation for adzuki beans, but you’ll definitely need to add some seasoning before eating. Enjoy!
Plain and Simple Adzuki Beans
1 cup dried adzuki beans
Water
- Place clean adzuki beans in a large bowl or pot, cover with ample water, and let soak over night.
- Drain the beans, rinse, and add to a large pot filled with water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer, about 45 minutes.
- Remove from heat, drain, and season as desired.
Makes 3 cups of cooked beans
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