Easy Red Beans – simple prep, delicious and chock-full of nutrients. Use these lightly seasoned beans for making tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, or simply on top of crunchy nacho chips, along with some salsa, cheese, etc. But hey, why limit this to “Mexican” themed meals? Maybe you can have them as a side-dish with something from a different cuisine, and add high quality protein to an otherwise carbohydrate-heavy meal. What comes to mind? Hmm.. how about having these on the side with an Indian-style vegetable Pulao, Italian pasta, or maybe alongside an American-style roasted vegetable sandwich..?
Beans: High in Protein and Fiber
Across the globe, beans are such a widely used food ingredient: for good reason, of course! High in protein and fiber, they are part of satisfying meals that are as tasty as they are nutritious. They are also loaded with lots of other vital micro-nutrients, such as the vitamins and minerals that support good health. Folks across the globe have found a myriad of ways to use these gems of nature. Anywhere you go, you will likely find some locally popular dish that incorporates beans..
Using beans: Savory, Sweet, Whole, Pureed…
Coming from India, where beans are an everyday staple, I grew up having beans pretty much every day. Oh, not the same kind every day! There is so much variety, so many ways that Indians use beans. Of course, there is the simple Dal, to be eaten with rice or Roti. However, this simple sounding description is not nearly enough. What kind of Dal, you might want to ask – and your question could still be too vague! What exactly are you asking? Do you mean to ask what kind of bean was used to make the Dal, or what what kind of spices and seasonings were used? Which part of the country does it originate – North, South, East, West? All these variations, just for Dal! Then there are the countless other bean-based dishes served for breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner, desserts, appetizers.. the list goes on and on!
Soon after coming to the US, I discovered that people from many other culinary traditions also make a multitude of bean-based delicacies. I learned how Mexican and South American folk use black beans, pinto beans, Mayacoba beans, etc., varieties that I had never even seen in India. Then of, course, there’s the bean-based Middle-Eastern Falafel and Hummus, which I fell in love with on my first encounter. During a recent visit to Japan, I saw a plethora of bean-filled sweet delicacies that our Japanese friends constantly urged us to try.
What a treasure-trove of Yummi-ness, all derived from the humble bean!
Dry Beans- Soak overnight in cool water
Red Beans are mild-flavored and cook fairly fast. Although I usually soak the dry beans overnight, in a pinch I’ve cooked them directly, adding just a little extra cooking time on my pressure cooker. That said, it is generally better to soak beans in cool water before cooking. The room-temperature soaking starts the germination process, which unlocks the cache of nutrients stored securely in the seed (the bean). Why? To make them available to the “growing” seed, of course: that’s why they’re stored there in the first place. We humans benefit from this “unlocking” process as well, because these nutrients are now more bio-available to us.
Savory Red Beans – Lots of Ways to Use!
I’m always trying new things to make with beans – its fun to let my imagination rip on my culinary forays! This simple bean recipe that I’m sharing here is made with red beans as its core ingredient. I like to start my bean recipes with dried beans, because I can add more flavor while they cook. I rinse and soak them overnight, then add bay leaves, whole black pepper, cumin, fennel and star anise while pressure-cooking the beans. Bay leaves and Fennel, in particular, are known to assist in the digestion of beans. The cooking time is about 15 min, that’s it! All that is left is to finish seasoning the beans, and they’re ready to dig into.
How do I season the beans? I like adding chopped onions, cooked until they become tender and sweet, but retain their shape and texture. The other simple everyday seasonings I add- salt, cumin, black pepper, ground Guajillo (Gwaa-hi-yo) pepper, dried Mexican Oregano, lime/lemon juice and olive oil. If you would like to make Mexican Seasoning at home, check out the recipe I have posted on this site.
After mixing in all the seasonings, I usually set the beans aside for about an hour or so, to let the flavors blend. Just before serving, I stir it gently and warm it up a bit.
Serve it up – Any Way You Like
These lightly seasoned red beans are great with any type of meal, from any part of the world. Although rich in protein, these beans, like most legumes, are not considered a complete protein, because they do not contain all the essential amino acids. However, when you combine them with a grain of your choice, together, they are indeed complete proteins. So, serve them up with a grain. Warm, soft wheat/corn tortillas, or crunchy tortilla chips would make a tasty Mexican meal. Or maybe you would like it with Roti, Paratha / Nan for one with Indo-Mexican flair. Or, perhaps, you can stuff these delicious red beans into a quesadilla or enchiladas… endless possibilities, for sure! Perhaps you might also like to check out my easy-to-make TVP filling for tacos ..!
Special Diets
These beans are vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free. By combining the accompanying dishes carefully, this recipe can be easily used by folks with various dietary restrictions.
Hope you give these beans a try soon. They are so easy to make and are so very versatile. I often cook a larger batch than I need for one time, and stash the rest in my freezer in 1 cup portions – so easy to pull out at a moment’s notice!
Make them, share with friends and family, leave a review and a rating… much appreciated!
Enjoy!
Easy Red Beans – Delicious in Tacos, Quesadillas and More
Equipment
- Pressure cooker preferred for cooking beans; if not available, beans can be cooked in a saucepan on the stove-top, or in a slow cooker. See Recipe Notes for alternate cooking directions.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Small Red beans – dried Rinsed and soaked overnight in 1/2 cup water; cooking directions provided; or use 1 can cooked beans, 15 oz – drain liquid in a colander; if Red beans not available, use light red kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, etc. Note that the cooking times will vary a little bit. The beans should be fully cooked, but firm enough to hold their texture ( should not be mushy).
- 2 leaves Bay leaves- torn into 2-3 pieces divided into 2 portions
- 10-12 whole Peppercorns – divided into 2 portions
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds – divided into 2 portions
- 1 tsp Fennel seeds – divided into 2 portions
- 1 whole Star Anise broken pieces ok too
- 1 cup Onions – medium dice
- 1/2 whole Serrano pepper (optional) – halved, lengthwise if not available, use a different variety medium-hot green chilli; adjust as per spiciness preference
- 2 tsp Mexican Seasoning if not available, see Recipe Notes for alternatives
- 1 tsp Cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt adjust as per preference
- 2 tsp Chilli oil adjust as per preference; See Recipe Notes for how to make chilli oil; or use any edible oil of choice, including extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp Lime/Lemon juice – freshly squeezed preferred if not available, bottled lime/lemon juice OK
- 1-2 cloves Garlic (optional) – finely chopped / minced / grated if not available, 1/8 tsp garlic powder OK
Garnish
- 2 tbsp Cilantro (optional) – washed, towel-dried and chopped also called fresh coriander leaves
- 2 tbsp Green onions (optional) – sliced green tops -(1-2 stalks) scallions OK too
- 1/4 cup Tomatoes (optional) – finely diced
Instructions
- Rinse beans 2-3 times with scrubbing, to remove surface dirt. Soak in 1/2 cup water, covered, overnight.
- Most of the water is absorbed during soaking. It is up to you to decide whether you wish to discard the remaining soaking water or not. I usually do not discard the soaking water, because it has some nutrients that I do not want to lose.However, if you prefer to discard it, drain the beans in a colander, transfer the beans to an insert container for the pressure cooker and add 1/2 cup of fresh water for cooking.If you wish to use the soaking water for cooking, hold the colander over a bowl to collect the soaking water. Transfer the beans to an insert container for the pressure cooker; transfer the drained water to a cup measure and add enough fresh water to make 1/2 cup liquid. Add this to the beans.
- Add the star anise and 1 portion or each of the following: bay leaf, peppercorns, cumin, and fennel; distribute the spices into the cooking liquid; Place the insert container on the rack; add 2 cups water into the outer container. Cook for 15 min at full pressure, allow pressure to release normally.See Recipe Notes for how to cook beans without a pressure cooker.
- Meanwhile, cut the onions and add the remaining spices: bay leaf, peppercorns, cumin, and fennel. Place everything in an pressure cooker insert container.
- After the beans are done, cook the onions for 3 min a full pressure, releasing pressure naturally. The onions should be tender and sweet, but still firm enough to retain its structure (not mushy soft)
- Remove the bay leaf and other spices from the beans and onions; add the cooked onions to the beans
- Add the spices: salt, Mexican Seasoning, cumin powder, lime/lemon juice, Chilli oil, garlic (if using). If you prefer, you can use plain oil instead of Chilli oil. See Recipe Notes for how to make Chilli oil and Mexican Seasoning.
- Mix everything and set aside for about 30 min or longer to allow flavors to blend. Just before serving, warm briefly on the stove-top or in the microwave (about 2 min on hi)
- Serve with nacho chips, cheese, tomatoes, pickled jalapenos, etc.
- Or serve it with warm tortillas and salad… Enjoy!
Notes
Cooking beans without pressure cooker:
In a sauce-pan:- Use a medium-large sauce-pan ( 2 -3 quart/liter)
- Add the pre-soaked beans and 1 cup hot water; add spices as per directions
- Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about an hour or a bit longer, until the beans are fully cooked but not mushy.
- add more hot water as needed to prevent sticking and burning
- Cover and allow to cool slowly to room temp.
- All the beans, spices and 1 1/2 cups of hot water
- Start cooking on hi; it will take 2-3 hours to cook the pre-soaked beans.
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If you don’t have Mexican Seasoning :
- Make some and keep it handy:
- Recipe is posted on this blog, click on the link
- Use the following seasoning mixture instead:Â
- 3/4 tsp Guajillo pepper ground (or ground New Mexico chilli pepper, Kashmiri Mirchi, Byadgi Mirchi, or other mildly hot red chilli powder; if using cayenne, use only 1/2 tsp or less
- 1/4 tsp cumin powder
- 1/8 tsp freshly crushed black pepper
- 1/8 tsp dried Mexican Oregano (if not available, use Italian Oregano)
Make Chilli Oil at home:
- in a small bowl, place 1 tsp of cayenne, 1 tsp paprika and 1 tbsp edible oil; mix, cover and set aside. In a few hours, the oil will become a deep redand the sediment on the bottom will look dark.Â
- use Kashmiri Mirchi or Byadgi Mirchi or other red chilli powder with good color and relatively mild spiciness.
- Use to add good color and flavor to various dishes
Storing leftovers:
- Refrigerate leftovers- consume within 2-3 days
- Freeze in shallow container- easier to thaw and reheat.
- will keep for 3-4 weeks, possibly longer
- to thaw, place on countertop for 15-20 min, then microwave on 30% power until thawed, then heat through on medium power, before serving.
Beans are an all time favourite. Thanks for posting this recipe! Will try it out.
Hope you like it, Vivek. Let me know… maybe post a pic on Instagram/Facebook and tag me.