Beans in Coconut Milk

Almost every culture in the world has ways of cooking beans. You could probably eat beans with different seasonings every day for a month and still not run out of possibilities. Who ever said vegetarian cooking was boring?

I recently perused a book called A Taste of Africa by Tebereh Inquai. It's not a vegetarian book, but there were plenty of recipes for beans and vegetables.

This dish from Tanzania is very satisfying spooned over brown rice. I served it with roast beets and carrots for color contrast. Greens would be good too.

It is a real mellow comfort-food dish. Add red chili paste and vegetables if you want a spicier, more Thai-like dish.

Coconut milk gets a bad rap because it contains saturated fat, yet it has many health benefits. It is anti-carcinogenic, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral. The main saturated fat that it contains, lauric acid, is also found in mother's milk and has been shown to promote brain development and bone health.

Don't waste your money on low-fat coconut milk. Buy the full-fat version and dilute it half and half with water if you want less fat. Store left-over coconut milk in the freezer.

I like to make this dish with pinquito beans, a small bean native to Southern California, but you can use any bean you like. Larger ones might take longer to cook.

Let this nourishing bean dish soothe you as the fall evenings draw in.

Beans in Coconut Milk
1/2 lb (1 cup) dried beans
2 cups onion (1 large)
1 tbsp oil
2 serrano chiles, sliced (leave seeds in for a spicier dish)
1/4 tsp tumeric
14-oz can coconut milk
1 tsp salt

Pick over the beans and rinse them. Cook in boiling water for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the beans rest one hour in the hot water. Drain and rinse the beans.

Chop the onion and fry it in the oil until soft. Add chiles halfway through. Stir in tumeric and beans. Add the coconut milk and 1 cup water. Cook, covered, 30 minutes. Stir in salt. Keep cooking until tender, another 1/2 hour or so.

Serve over brown rice.

Serves 4-6.