Adzuki beans

Stop with chickpeas, white beans and lentils. We diversify our plate and cook the azuki bean, full of nutritional virtues. Azuki beans are inexpensive. Besides that, can be kept for a long time in a cool, dry place.

The flavours of the azuki bean are similar to the classic red bean. Also it is softer, with a subtle taste of hazelnuts. We like it’s tasty and refined taste. Along with the possibility to taste it as well as sweet and salty. It can also be sprouted for even more flavor.

Origin

Azuki beans are a variety of red beans from Asia. It is a seed from the red soybean plant and is part of the legume family. In Japan, China or Vietnam, it is most often eaten sweet. For instance, in the form of dough for making many cakes, cookies and pastries.

Nutrition

It is composed of two types of fibre: soluble and insoluble. Also,  allows being digested more easily, to help the proper functioning of the intestines and regulate the level of glucose in the blood. It is also rich in minerals, vitamins A & B9 and trace elements. Azuki beans are rich in protein with 9g per 100g of azukis. It is therefore perfectly included in a vegetarian diet, provided it is combined with cereals for sufficient nutritious and complementary nutrients.

Cooking tips

Azuki beans, like all legumes, should be soaked in cold water overnight. The next day, you pour your beans into a pan of water, which is boiled. We drain, rinse and repeat the process. Then it is reduced to medium heat to prolong the cooking of about one hour.

But if the weather does not allow, we can cook them directly without going through the soaking box. If we do not know the azuki, we can start by enjoying it cooked and salted: in the form of Chili sin carne, curry or salad simply. We dare dorayaki, the famous pancake Japanese, stuffed with sweet dough azuki or chocolate brownie, where the azuki goes completely unnoticed and its texture is ultra-melting.

Azuki goes perfectly with rice and starchy foods. It is also interesting to combine with cereals and vegetables, for a complete and balanced nutritional intake