Sauteed Azuki and Mung Beans

We are in the grips of a heat wave here in Ontario, and as my appetite decreases, so too does my desire to cook. Besides, it was only just today that our landlords downstairs decided to turn on the air conditioning, and though I reside in an airy apartment, the humidity still results in an uncomfortably hot environment.

Eating well is important to me though, especially considering my propensity to smoke, not to mention my red wine habit. Even when I don't feel like cooking, I do it anyway, as I don't eat prepackaged food and I don't like to eat out very often. Tonight I made a simple Chinese dish from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian that I have been meaning to try for a good long while. I was inspired to finally give it a try as it sounded easy and I also didn't want to miss the deadline for *A.W.E.D*, a monthly food event celebrating ethnic culinary traditions from around the world. This month, Chinese cuisine is the focus.

The beans are cooked and flavored separately, providing a slight but enjoyable contrast. Ms. Jaffrey suggests serving this dish with rice, with vegetables, or with some bread. She also recommends scooping the beans into a pita pocket, along with some tomatoes, and lettuce for a satisfying lunch or light dinner. I was pleased with the end result, as the earthy flavour of the beans was nicely enhanced by the modest seasonings.

Sauteed Azuki and Mung Beans, Chinese Style

1 cup of azuki beans, rinsed
1 cup of whole mung beans, rinsed

For the Azuki Beans:

dash of cayenne pepper
3 - 4 green or red chillies, finely minced
1 clove of garlic

2 tablespoons of oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 scallions, sliced into thin rounds
2/3 teaspoon of sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1 - 2 teaspoons of sesame oil (I used 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil)

For the Mung Beans:

2 tablespoons of oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
3/4 teaspoon of sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1 - 2 teaspoons of sesame oil (I used 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil)

1 tablespoon of sesame oil for garnishing
2 - 3 tablespoons of fresh cilantro or fresh parsley, finely chopped, for garnishing

Soak the azuki beans and mung beans in two separate pots with enough water to cover overnight. Drain the beans, return to the pots and add three cups of water to the azuki beans and the mung beans respectively. Bring both the azuki beans and the mung beans to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer until the beans are tender - roughly one hour. Drain, and set aside.

For the azuki beans, make a paste of the chopped chillies and 1 clove of garlic in a mortar and pestle. Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan over high heat. When hot, add the garlic and scallions, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds. Add the azuki beans to the pan, crushing some of them against the side of the pan for another 30 seconds or so. Reduce the heat to low, add the chili / garlic paste, salt and black pepper, and cook for another minute or so. Pour in the sesame oil, stir, remove from heat and cover.

For the mung beans, in another large frying pan or wok, heat the oil over high heat. When hot, add the garlic, stirring constantly until the garlic begins to brown. Now add the mung beans, stir for 30 seconds, reduce the heat to low and add the sea salt and black pepper. Stir, add the sesame oil, stir again and remove from the heat.

To serve, ladle the beans side by side onto a plate, drizzle with a bit of sesame oil and garnish with cilantro or parsley.

Serves 6.