Azuki Bean Casserole

One-dish meals are always a blessing for cooks on the go who want good nourishment for their family. Packed full of beans, vegetables and herbs, along with some oats, miso and cheese, your diners will be asking for seconds. The small red beans known as "azuki" or "adzuki" are filling and high in fiber, protein, complex carbohydrates, and iron. Any seasonal selection of vegetables are worth considering for this casserole. If you don't have azuki beans on hand, whole mung beans would be a good alternative. Kidney beans are also to be considered, along with a bit more spice.

The next evening I reheated the casserole and added some chopped pitted black olives, a few dollops of sour cream, more grated cheddar cheese, finely chopped seeded hot chilies, a sprinkling of saffron and a dash of red pepper flakes. Much like soups, this casserole tastes better the day after. The smell is heavenly when reheating, just as it was when I cooked it to begin with.

Azuki Bean Casserole

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on March 17, 2011 A rich, hearty, nutritious and flavorful azuki bean casserole loaded with vegetables and seasoned with spices and herbs Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking time: 2 1/2 hours Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup dried azuki beans 6 sun-dried tomatoes 1/2 oz (14 g) dried mushrooms 1 tablespoon miso 1/2 cup rolled oats 1 cup unsweetened pumpkin purée 1 carrot, diced handful of green beans, chopped 1 onion, diced 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced handful of fresh kale, chopped 1/2 cup frozen corn 1/2 cup frozen peas 1 plum tomato, diced 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 2 teaspoons paprika 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped 1 tablespoon tamari (soy) sauce 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste fresh ground black pepper to taste 2/3 cup fresh grated extra-old Cheddar cheese 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese Suggested garnishes: 1/2 cup black or green olives, pitted and chopped sour cream fresh green or red chilies, seeded and diced dried red chili flakes Instructions: Rinse the beans and soak in several inches of cold water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse, and transfer to a medium saucepan. Cover with several inches of fresh water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40 to 60 minutes or until the beans are tender. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile soak the sun-dried tomatoes and dried mushrooms in 1 cup of hot water for 20 minutes. Drain and reserve the soaking liquid. Chop the tomatoes and mushrooms, and set aside. Preheat an oven to 300°F. Combine the miso and 1/2 cup of hot water in a large casserole dish, and stir to mix. Add 2 1/2 cups of water. Stir in the cooked beans, oats, pumpkin purée, vegetables, spices and herbs, tamari sauce, as well as the sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms, and their reserved soaking liquid. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake uncovered for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding more water as necessary. Stir in a little cornmeal if you want to thicken the mixture. Remove from heat and scatter the grated Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses over top. Put back in the oven and bake for 10 more minutes or until the cheese is browned. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes to cool before serving. Scatter with any of the suggested garnishes if desired. Makes 6 to 8 servings

More azuki bean recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Mung and Azuki Beans with Fresh Peas and Spices
Spicy Azuki Bean Risotto
Yunnan Stir-Fried Azuki Beans and Green Pepper (Hungdo Chow Ching Jiao)
Adzuki Croquettes

On the top of the reading stack: Dakshin by Chandra Padmanabhan