Azuki,
Squash and Kombu
From the Kushi Institute kitchen 
This
dish is warming and strengthening – great for dinner on cold nights. In traditional
wisdom azuki beans (also known as aduki or adzuki) are said to be strengthening
in particular for the kidneys. They are also very easy to digest compared to most
other beans.
Here
are recipes for two different preparation methods; the first is boiling, which
takes about two hours or more in cooking time, the second is pressure cooking,
which cooks for about one hour. The
difference in the two cooking methods is more than just time. different cooking
methods produce different results in the flavor and “energetic” qualities
of the dish, and influence how you feel and how the dish is digested: •The
boiling method produces a “lighter” taste, and you may feel lighter
after you eat it. •Pressure
cooking produces a more rich, deep flavor, and you may notice feeling “heavier”
after eating it. Try
both methods, on different days, and see the difference in taste and how you feel
for yourself. The
boiling method also needs more attention, as more water needs to be added regularly,
so it would be a good dish to make on a day you plan to be home. On other days
when you are busy away from home and want a quick dinner when you come home, you
can make the pressure cooked method early in the morning or the evening before,
then refrigerate. It will only take a few minutes to re-heat at dinnertime. Method
# 1: Boiling This
recipe is adapted from the Kushi Institute’s Level 1 course binder. Makes
4 servings Time: Soaking
time: 8 hours or over night Preparation
time: 15 minutes Cooking
time: 2 + hours Clean-up
time: 10 minutes Equipment •Heavy,
covered sauce pan
•Vegetable knife Ingredients: 1
cup azuki beans, washed, and soaked in 2 cups water 1
cup hard winter squash (such as butternut, buttercup or kabocha), cut in large
cubes 1-inch
square piece of kombu 1/4
teaspoon sea salt water parsley,
chopped, for garnish •Place
the kombu on the bottom of a heavy pot.
•Add the soaked beans with soaking
water and, if necessary add enough water to just cover the beans.
•Bring
to a boil over a medium flame. When it comes to boil, cover the pot, reduce
the flame to low, and simmer for 1 hour.
•Add a little water occasionally,
as needed, to keep the beans just covered. Do not add too much water, as
the less water there is the more rich the flavor of the beans will be.
•After
1 hour, place the squash on top of the azukis, re-cover the pot and continue
simmering 1 hour more. The beans and squash should both be very tender at
this point.
•Add the salt by sprinkling over the top of the beans and
squash. Stir salt in a little, very gently so as not to break up the squash
piece, and cook 15 minutes more, uncovered to reduce the liquid. If there
is still a lot of water after 15 minutes you can continue simmering uncovered
as long as you like, just keep the flame very low and check regularly to
make sure it does not scorch.
•Serve hot garnished with parsley. Leftovers
will keep refrigerated up to 3 days. Method
# 2: Pressure Cooking Makes
4 servings Time: Soaking
time: 8 hours or over night Preparation
time: 15 minutes Cooking
time: 1 hour Clean-up
time: 10 minutes Equipment •Pressure
Cooker
•Vegetable knife Ingredients: 1
cup azuki beans, washed, and soaked in 2 1/2 cups water 1
cup hard winter squash (such as butternut, buttercup or kabocha), cut in large
cubes 1-inch
square piece of kombu
1/4 teaspoon sea salt water parsley,
chopped, for garnish •Place
the kombu on the bottom of the pressure cooker.
•Add the soaked beans
and, if necessary add enough water to cover the beans by 1/2 inch. Place
the squash on top of the beans.
•Bring to pressure over a high flame,
then reduce the flame to low and cook for 45 minutes.
•Let pressure
come down, remove the lid, and add the salt by sprinkling over the top of
the beans and squash. Stir salt in a little, very gently so as not to break
up the squash piece, and cook 10 to 15 minutes more, uncovered to reduce
the liquid. If there is still a lot of water after 15 minutes you can continue
simmering uncovered as long as you like, just keep the flame very low and
check regularly to make sure it does not scorch.
•Serve hot garnished
with parsley. Leftovers
will keep refrigerated up to 3 days. Top
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