I made this last night and was very impressed. Any leafy greens are my absolute fav and collards are no exception, in fact they might very well be the ultimate fav. Unfortunately, I can't fly to California to get my fix, at my favorite restaurant, so I figured after 2 1/2 years I better get a new recipe. This one fits the bill. The ticket is w/ collards: don't undercook. 40 min was perfect. SPice the beans to taste. I like super spicy so I followed the directions as close as possible and loved.Enjoy!~
Mung and Azuki Beans with Fresh Peas and Spices
1/2 cup of whole mung beans
1/2 cup of azuki beans
2 cups of fresh peas
2 teaspoons of Earth Balance butter or olive oil
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of asafoetida powder (we didn't use this)
2 fresh jalapenos or green chilies, finely chopped ( I used 1 sirano pepper)
small handful of dried curry leaves (or a splash of curry powder)
3 - 4 dried red chilies, broken into bits
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped (We used a can and a half of organic chopped tomatoes)
1 teaspoon of methi leaves (didn't use; Chris though it meant methamphetamine. I told him that's made in a bathtub....oh what a funny, funny man)
sea salt to taste
Soak the mung beans and the azuki beans overnight in enough water to cover. Drain, transfer to a pot along with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, immediately reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Now add the peas to the pot and continue to cook until the beans are soft and the peas are tender - roughly another 15 - 20 minutes. Add more water to the pot if necessary, though most of the water should be absorbed at the end of the cooking time. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and cook until they turn grey and begin to pop. Now add the cumin seeds, coriander, cayenne, turmeric, asafoetida, green chilies, curry leaves, dried red chilies and stir and fry for a minute or two. Now add the tomatoes, methi leaves and salt to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens.
Transfer to the pot of cooked beans, stir well and return to a low heat and cook for a few more minutes so the flavours blend.
Serves 4 - 5.
Vegetarian "Southern-style" Collard Greens
Ingredients
• 1 pound collard greens, chopped (We had one bundle so I cut everything down a bit).
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Earth Balance butter
• 1/4-1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped (or on lazy days, garlic powder
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 2-3 cups vegetable stock or water (enough to cover the greens)
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped (I didn't use, but if you like tomatoes, knock yourself out. Plus the high vit C content in the tomatoes will help absorb the iron of the greens; what I did throughout my pregnancy to ward off anemia-although usually not a problem in vegans anyway).
Directions:
Pull huge stem out of collards (I usually just rip it, or you fold and rip or just cut it out). Then rip greens into bite sized pieces.
In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil and butter. Saute the onions until slightly softened, about 2 minutes, then add the red pepper flakes and garlic, cook another minute. Add collard greens and cook another minute. Add the vegetable stock, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook until greens are tender, about 40 minutes with lid on. Add tomatoes and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Serves 3-4 or 1 (in my case!)
