RED KIDNEY BEANS
Dietitian
Nicole Senior is such a fan of red kidney beans, we asked her to share
the facts in this month’s Good Carbs Food Facts A to Z.
Raw
red kidney beans (Phaseolis vulgaris) are beautiful. Their deep dark
colour is delightful and their smooth rounded edges are pleasing to
touch – they remind me of little river pebbles hewn by perpetual flowing
water. And, in a wooden box or plastic container, they make great DIY
maracas for your family band. As well as the dark brownish-red variety,
there are also a couple of speckled varieties that look gorgeous and
remind me of little wild bird’s eggs.
They are rich in the trace element molybdenum, high in fibre –
including soluble fibre that helps lower bad LDL cholesterol and
modulate blood glucose response – and a good source of protein, folate,
manganese and copper. They also contain iron, B-vitamins, potassium and
magnesium. As well as being rich in nutrients, kidney beans also contain
an array of phytochemicals including phenolic compounds with
anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. And to top it all off, they
have a low GI (36 for canned kidney beans; 51 for home-cooked dried
beans). It is perhaps not surprising that eating legumes regularly is
associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, probably due to
their ability to lower bad LDL cholesterol, but they have also been
shown to reduce blood pressure in clinical studies. Like all legumes,
kidney beans walk the line between two food groups, being both
vegetables and meat alternatives. A serving is half a cup of cooked
beans.
Red kidney beans are great in soups, stews,
curries and salads. They feature in many well-known dishes around the
world such as chilli con carne in Latin America, rajma in India and
Pakistan, and red beans and rice in Creole cuisine of Southern USA. They
give great texture and colour to salsas and dips, are a frugal filling
for wraps, and give starchy satisfaction to salads. They go wonderfully
with corn, spices and avocado, and are expert extenders of one-pot meat
meals (such as chilli beef) to reduce the amount of meat and add health
benefits.
What about wind? The main culprits are their
large indigestible sugars (raffinose, stachyose and verbascose). They
zip through the digestive system and arrive in the large bowel intact
where the resident healthy bacteria enthusiastically ferment them and
feast. The bad news: gas. The good news: these indigestible sugars are
water soluble. If you are cooking from scratch, rinsing and soaking
before cooking dried beans helps wash them away. If you opt for canned
convenience, rinse beans well before using. Here are some handy tips on
cooking beans from scratch from The Good Carbs Cookbook.
CLEAN Pick through the dried beans, discarding discoloured or shrivelled ones.
RINSE several times and then swirl them around in a bowl of cold water discarding any floaters.
SOAK
Beans and peas will double or triple in size depending on which soaking
method you use so it’s important to use a large enough container.
- Cold soak – Pour room temperature water over beans to cover and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Discard the soaking water and rinse beans in fresh cool water. Cold water starts but does not complete the rehydration process so they will appear wrinkled after soaking. They will fully hydrate during cooking.
- Quick soak – The warmer the water the faster the beans absorb it. This method reduces cooking time and produces consistently tender legumes. Put beans in a large pot and add 4 cups of water for every 1 cup of legumes. Bring to boil, reduce the heat and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse with fresh cool water before cooking.
- Keep the cooking water at a gentle simmer to prevent split skins.
- Add warm water periodically during cooking to keep the beans covered.
- Stir the beans occasionally to prevent sticking.
- They are done when they are tender, but not mushy. Check by either biting one for tenderness or pressing between your thumb and forefinger when it will break up easily.
- Drain immediately they reach the desired tenderness to stop the cooking process and prevent over-cooking.
- Hold the seasonings until the end of cooking. Acidic ingredients such as lemon juice, vinegar, wine or tomato sauce prevent softening, so don’t add them until the beans are tender.
