Black Eyed Beans Dhal

I absolutely love black eyed beans - these small, creamy-flavoured beans are amazingly versatile and can be cooked in so many ways. They have a distinctive black 'scar' where they were joined to the pod. Not only are they low-fat and high in protein, these beans have so much nutritional value! They contain vitamin A; essential for eye health, strengthening the skin and skeletal tissue. They are rich in B vitamins, and contain soluble fibre. This type of fibre is important to keep blood sugar balanced and helps prevent type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, fibre is vital for a healthy digestive system and for maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. It is also important to note the highpotassium content - essential for a healthy blood pressure, water balance, kidney healthy and support for the nervous system.

Black eyed beans can be used in salads, stews and dhals; my favourite is having them in a dhal and I want to share this recipe with you!

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 cup of black eyes beans, soaked overnight
2 tbsp. rapeseed oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 large onion, finely diced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
Inch of ginger, grated
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. turmeric
200g tinned plum tomatoes (1/2 tin)
1 green chilli, roughly chopped
1 tsp salt Organic vegetable stock
Fresh coriander, red onion and green chillies to garnish

Method:

Put the soaked black eyed beans into a pressure cooker, and cover with at least 3 inches of water and salt. Put the lid on and cook on a high heat for 10 minutes.
Once the beans are cooked, drain the beans, keeping any remaining liquid to one side - we will use this later.
In a large pan, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. Once the seeds start to sizzle and become fragrant, add the chopped onion. Fry the onions until they become translucent.
Then add the garlic and ginger, and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
Reduce the heat and stir in the tomatoes, chilli, ground cumin, ground coriander and turmeric and cook for about 5-10 minutes to create a thick, golden masala paste.
Add your cooked beans to the masala paste and stir. Add the water that you have placed on one side from earlier, and any extra water to make up 1 litre in total.
Add the vegetable stock, stir well until dissolved and bring to the boil. Then simmer the dhal for 5-10 minutes depending on how thick/thin you want the sauce. Remove from the heat, and add the chopped coriander, red onion and green chillies to serve.