PEAS. THE NEW DIET PILL.

Want all the nutrition without the need for supplements? Just eat your vegetables.

Recipeas

Bali Beans

This recipe was originally created in a small, shared kitchen in Ubud, Bali and it was enjoyed by the many guests Kristin Fraser and I hosted.

Bali Beans

Lentils, split white mapte (urad dal) beans or other quick-cooking legumes are perfect for this dish. While cinnamon is the star, get creative by adding a couple of cloves, star anise and/or lime juice.


Author Oh Peas / Lori Church

Ingredients

  • 2 cups split yellow mung beans or similar, rinsed
  • 2" chunk of ginger, sliced
  • 4 to 6 cardamom pods, cracked
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
  • 1 cup onion, small dice
  • 2 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cinnamon stick (4" or so)
  • 1 tsp chili flakes (optional)
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup *coconut milk
  • sea salt + cracked pepper
  • cilantro for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Over medium high heat, **dry sauté onions with a pinch of salt. Stir until onions are translucent, then add garlic and ginger, cook for about a minute then add all ingredients except the coconut milk. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cover.

    Set timer for 15 minutes then check. The yellow mung beans take approximately 25 to 30 minutes to cook. Keep a close eye on them during the last 10 minutes of cooking in case you need to add more water. Test the beans. If they are still quite toothy, cook a bit longer.

    Once you are satisfied with the doneness of the beans, add the coconut milk, cook for another minute or so then add salt and pepper as desired. Serve with optional cilantro garnish. If you like, fish out the cardamom pods and bay leaf before serving; however, in our home we leave them in. If you get the bay leaf in your serving, you get to do the dishes.

  2. *When buying coconut milk, always read the label. Best quality contains just coconut and water.

  3. **The secret to a successful dry sauté is adding a pinch of salt at the beginning and using a bit of water to deglaze as needed if the onions start to stick.

Recipe Notes

NOTE: Lentils, split white matpe (urad) beans or other quick-cooking legumes are perfect for this dish. While cinnamon is the star, get creative by adding a couple of cloves, star anise and/or lime juice.