Tag: beans

Like A Moth To The Flame

Like a moth to the flame, I’m inexorably drawn to foods that elicit more questions than answers at first blush, for better or for worse. Moths, though a vital part of our natural ecosystem, are typically not associated with culinary greatness. That’s why the name “moth beans” immediately gave me pause, and soon after landed in my cart.

Fear not: these little legumes have absolutely nothing to do with dusty winged insects. Vigna aconitifolia, also known as matki, mat beans, or dew beans, are named for the lobed shape of their leaves when growing, which supposedly resemble a moth’s silhouette. I’d say that’s a real stretch of the imagination, but maybe my creativity is merely lacking. No matter how you look at it, moth beans have already proven themselves as far more than just a taxonomic curiosity.

What Are Moth Beans?

Native to the hot, arid regions of South Asia, specifically India and Pakistan, they have been a staple food for centuries. Because they can grow in sandy, bone-dry soil where other crops would wither, it’s there that they earned the nickname “dew beans,” seeming to subsist on nothing more than the morning mist. Preventing erosion from locking in what scant moisture remains in the soil, they’re vital for maintaining productive land in difficult climates.

What prevents moth beans from becoming more widespread across the globe is the difficulty of harvesting them. Laboriously cut by hand with a sickle, current mowers aren’t built for their unique shape and size, so they remain out of reach for industrial production.

What Do Moth Beans Taste Like?

If you’re familiar with green lentils or mung beans, you’ve already gotten a taste of what to expect from moth beans. Deeply earthy and nutty, with a savory undertone that hints at mushroom-like umami, there’s a faint sweetness on the back end, making them much more complex than your standard kidney or navy bean.

Even when fully cooked, they maintain a distinct, slightly firm bite between your teeth. They refuse to turn into mush unless you go out of your way to intentionally overcook them, making them ideal for salads, soups, stews, and most traditionally, curries.

Moth Bean Nutrition: Tiny But Mighty

Don’t let their diminutive size fool you. In the world of plant-based protein, moth beans are heavy hitters. Incredibly protein-dense, to the tune of roughly 23 grams of protein per 100 grams of dry beans, they make a compelling case for doing away with meat. They are an excellent source of zinc, which is great for the immune system, and iron for keeping energy levels high. Like most legumes, they are packed with dietary fiber, which keeps things moving smoothly and keeps you feeling full longer.

Soak, Sprout, or Simmer: Cooking Moth Beans

Sold both whole and split, the moth bean offers two distinct paths toward enjoyment. Whole moth beans necessarily take longer, they have more structural integrity, and have the added benefit of being sproutable. Sprouted moth beans have been especially crucial for those who may not have easy access to fresh vegetables, since the dried beans are shelf stable for months, if not years, and erupt with little white tails in 1 – 2 days.

  • To sprout whole moth beans, soak them overnight, drain, and keep them in a damp cloth or sprout jar for 24 – 48 hours. Once those tiny white tails appear, they can be eaten raw in salads, stir-fried, or steamed for just a few minutes.
  • To cook whole moth beans, while not strictly necessary, soaking them for 4 – 6 hours reduces cooking time and improves digestibility. On the stove top, simmer in plenty of water (about a 3:1 ratio) for 20 – 30 minutes until tender but firm. In a pressure cooker, cook on high for 10 minutes and quick release the pressure. Let stand in unsealed pressure cooker for another 10 minutes, then drain.
  • To cook split moth beans, simply rinse them under cool water and simmer on the stove top for 15 – 20 minutes. The ratio shifts slightly because they act more like red lentils, absorbing water as they break down into a soft, porridge-like consistency. Use a 2:1 or 3:1 water-to-bean ratio, depending on how thick you want the final result.

Traditional Moth Bean Dishes

In India, moth beans need no introduction. They’re the backbone of some of the most iconic comfort foods, including:

  • Matki Chi Usal: A spicy, sprouted bean stir fry tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and a generous amount of goda masala.
  • Misal Pav: Perhaps the most famous use, this is a spicy sprout curry topped with farsan (crunchy snack mix), onions, and lime, served with buttery rolls.
  • Moth Dal: A simple, comforting stew tempered with cumin, ginger, and green chilies.
  • Moth Kachori: Tucked away inside flaky, fried pastries, the beans are seasoned and mashed into a coarse paste, providing a hearty, savory center that balances the buttery crunch of the crust.

Having a Ball with Moth Beans

While I’ll always carry a torch for the classics, I can’t keep away from a good pun, especially if it leads to even better food. I’ve never once in my life used moth balls, but I had to try my hands at making them from scratch… That is, moth bean meatballs.

If the name turns heads and grabs your attention, then that’s the point. How enticing does a “bean ball” sound in the first place? Might as well play up the weird and wonderful branding nature already provided. Rest assured, these savory spheres won’t make your kitchen smell like a nursing home. Instead, these vegan meatballs capitalize on that signature nutty umami, accentuated by sun-dried tomatoes and nutritional yeast. Seared, baked, or air fried, they’re sturdy enough to withstand a wave of marinara without dissolving into an accidental, extra-chunky ragu.

Fly Straight to Moth Beans

They may take a bit more effort to source in the US than the usual garbanzo, pinto, or kidney bean, which only adds to the appeal, if you ask me. Moth beans are special, to be celebrated and respected. Even without such an arresting name in English, moth beans warrant your attention, and intrigue. Give them a chance; your first taste of moth beans may just make your heart flutter.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)3 Comments

Stick To It

As much as I love edamame, I’m loathe to order them at a restaurant. They have to be something really special, perhaps charred with a smoky kiss from the wok, anointed with enough garlic to ruin any date, to merit real consideration. The fact of the matter is that in most cases, they’re merely the same green pods anyone could grab from the freezer, barely thawed enough to melt the ice crystals, and seasoned either with too much or too little salt; there’s never any middle ground.

Edamame, though admittedly perfect beer snacks as is, deserve so much more care. The bar is so low that the bare minimum of creativity hooks me like a hapless, hungry fish. “Edamame Sticks” did the trick, in just that one line. It was printed on a menu online with no further description, and no means of ordering, but when has that ever stopped me before?

Wrapped up in a thin sheath of wheat-based egg roll skin, chopped edamame are granted the thoughtful application of spices and aromatics that quick serves can never afford. Far from groundbreaking, the complement of garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil are simply playing the hits that the crowd most wants to hear. Once fried, bubbling surface of the wrappers bronzed and resoundingly crisp, no one could deny these beans.

The only problem with edamame is when they’re served as a placeholder, something to keep your hands busy while you wait for anything better. Given even a modest intervention, sealed, spiced, and sent through hot oil, they snap out of their stupor. Apparently this is still too much to ask of restaurants sending out plain pods at exorbitant prices, but at least we have all the tools at our disposal to do better at home.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)11 Comments

Crowd Control

I can’t lie: I’m a sucker for a good pun. My sense of humor vacillates between dad jokes and caustic wit, but I can never resist a solid groaner. That brings me to the obvious need to turn crowder beans into chowder. The moment I started cooking with them, I knew that Crowder Chowder was inevitable, if only for the irresistible name.

Don’t worry, it’s more than just a fun rhyme. As with any proper chowder, the base is thick and creamy, making for a hearty bowl-in-one type of meal. Packed with potatoes and sweet corn, the crowder beans contribute an earthy meatiness, to say nothing of all their protein and fiber, without a single clam in sight.

Plenty of chowder recipes employ beans, especially white beans for their fairly neutral flavor, so it’s not like I’m breaking any new ground here. Crowder peas, however, may take some eaters by surprise this unconventional setting. Since they usually show up in straightforward company, simmered with onions, maybe a hunk of cornbread nearby, seeing them in more composed recipes could turn some heads. Lack of mainstream recognition further limits their range, unfairly, if you ask me. Anything white beans can do, the humble field pea can do, too.

Fully validated by the success of this experiment inspired by word play, Crowder Chowder is exactly the sort of recipe that makes a terrible pun feel justified. The name might make you roll your eyes at first, but one spoonful quickly changes the tone of the conversation. Sometimes the best ideas just sound silly on paper.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)7 Comments

Pea’s A Crowd

Staring down the bag labeled blandly as “field peas,” culled from the brightly lit grocery store shelf, I knew there was more to the story. Encompassing dozens of different legumes, field peas are a catch-all term for any Southern bean grown amongst the crops, as opposed to the home garden. That means you could grab a package of so-called field peas and find black-eye peas, lady peas, cream peas, purple hull peas, or zipper peas staring back at you, all under the same label.

This particular bundle was different though, which is why it caught my eye. Tiny as grains of uncooked brown rice, unlike any bean I had cooked before, I decided to buy first, ask questions later. Only after exhaustive research could I give my new prize a more accurate name: Crowder Peas.

What Exactly Are Crowder Peas?

As part of the field pea family, also known as cowpeas or Southern peas, crowder peas hail from Africa, brought to the US along with enslaved peoples. Through their skilled hands, agriculture thrived, using these heirloom beans to add nitrogen to the soil, enduring through extreme heat and drought alike.

Crowder peas come by their name quite literally, each pod being “crowded” with many peas as they grow. There are many varieties of crowder peas, too, including Mississippi Silver, Dixie Lee, Cream Peas, Zipper Peas, and more; some are rounded while others are fairly flat, varying from brown to white but shades may vary. If you’re looking for a single definitive example of the legume, you’re going to be disappointed. Harvested in the late summer, you’re unlikely to find them fresh, unless you live within a few miles of where they’re grown. More likely than not, you’ll find them dried year round, and occasionally canned.

Crowder Peas: Always In Good Taste

The mysterious crowder peas that I purchased reminded me visually of tiny tepary beans; dark, firm, and robust. They’re a bean-lover’s bean, loud and proud, earthy, starchy, sometimes nutty, and always savory. Where black-eyed peas can taste bright and grassy, crowders are deeper and more grounded. The rounder varieties may be a bit creamier, but all are built to withstand long stews and braises. That potlikker is a prize all by itself, slightly thickened and dark as red wine. Traditionally seasoned with a simple array of onions, garlic, paprika, and often ham, you’d be crazy to think about draining it away.

Crowder Pea Nutrition? Bean There, Done That

Between you and me, I wish we could skip the section on nutrition for these bean deep-dives because they’re all starting to read the same. Unsurprisingly, they’re high in protein and fiber, B vitamins, folate, magnesium, and iron. Spoiler alert: there is no such thing as an unhealthy legume. Next!

Cooking Crowder Peas

Dried crowder peas are a pantry gift, especially in cooler months when fresh produce feels scarce. Soaking them for several hours, or overnight, shortens the cooking time and encourages even tenderness, though it’s not strictly required.

  • Stove Top: If soaked in advance, crowder peas take about 1 – 1 1/2 hours to cook, covered by at least 1 inch of water and gently simmered. Check on the water level and add more if too much evaporates during the process. If unsoaked, it can take closer to 2 hours on the heat.
  • Pressure Cooker: This is my method of choice because it requires no soaking and is still done in less time. Cover crowder peas with at least 2 inches of water and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally.

Only after cooking should you add salt. Drain or enjoy along with the potlikker, as is most traditional. Note that those who sometimes have trouble digesting beans would be better served to drain the liquid, which contains a considerable amount of the oligosaccharides (raffinose and stachyose) responsible.

Crowd-Sourcing Serving Suggestions

Crowder peas would be out of place on a complex plate. They’re at their best when seasoned simply, nestled besides humble staples like stewed greens, rice, mashed potatoes, cornbread, or even plain old buttered white bread. Made for big pots, long simmers, and recipes designed to stretch across days, they’re deeply rooted in Southern culture, especially in rural and agricultural communities where field peas were a staple crop. A few traditional uses include:

  • Field Peas & Snaps: Contrary to the modern interpretation that employs green beans, “snaps” refers to the whole pea pods that are too tender to shell, simply snapped in half and cooked together with the peas.
  • Hoppin’ John: While black-eyed peas have become the favored bean for this fortuitous dish, older recipes made no qualms about using whatever field pea was at your disposal. The beans are meant to represent coins, paired with the greens for money, coalescing into a blessing for wealth in the New Year. That wouldn’t change whether your beans had black eyes or not.
  • Chilled Summer Salad: Be it a picnic or potluck, the humble crowder pea will serve you well. Since they hold their shape after cooking, they’re prime candidates for the salad treatment, often tossed in a mustardy vinaigrette with tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and more.

For more inspiration, look to the ever-popular black-eyed pea. It’s the most common field pea on the market, leading to a great wealth of recipe ideas. From soup and chili to more modern veggie burgers, meatless loaves, and stuffed peppers, there’s almost no preparation that wouldn’t welcome a swap. Crowder peas can step in seamlessly, bringing a slightly creamier texture and deeper, earthier flavor to the same familiar formats.

Playing the Field

Given that I don’t have access to fresh crowder peas and can only dream of snapping their delicate little pods in two, I did have to resort to using garden-variety green beans to make my own version of field peas and snaps. On the bright side, this approach is much less labor-intensive, since you can buy bags of cut green beans ready to go. Since we’re not prisoners of tradition here, I have no qualms swapping out the conventional bacon or ham hock for the one-two punch of mushrooms and liquid smoke. Meat was always meant to be the seasoning, not the focal point, in any event.

Between the onions and garlic, you’ve got a classic starter pack for “what smell’s so good in here?” before the umami mushrooms even enter the picture. The crowder peas, ever reliable, stay creamy at the center yet intact, thickening the broth ever so slightly as they simmer. Served with liquid and all, nothing goes to waste, especially the leftovers.


Join The Crowd

Crowder peas may not have the name recognition of their fellow field pea cousins, but that only means there’s more room on the table for discovery. Sturdy, soulful, and reliably versatile, they’re equally at home in a Southern stew or a weeknight plant meat remix. If anything, their underdog status works in your favor; they arrive without expectations and leave with converts. Next time you see that vague little bag labeled “field peas,” don’t walk past it. There’s a whole new crowd worth getting to know.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)9 Comments

Refried or Die

Living in Texas has shown me the wonders of refried beans. Up until this point in my life, my primary reference was the stodgy, miscellaneous bean matter that emerges from a can in one solid brick. Minimally seasoned, mostly homogeneous, I never saw the appeal. Was it the adult equivalent of baby food, delivering nutrition with no teeth required? Mercifully, the real deal is anything but a culinary compromise, cementing its place in American foodways for many centuries to come.

Once Bitten, Twice Fried?

Pinto beans are the most common legume to be refried, thanks to their abundance, affordability, and creamy texture that breaks down easily with the lightest touch. Frijoles refritos were born in Mexico and contrary to common belief, mean “well-fried,” not “re-fried” beans. The idea is to stew them until they give up on individuality, fusing together as one. Like most marvelously simple dishes, the key ingredient is time.

What if there was a way to speed up the process without sacrificing flavor, texture, or nutrition, though? Sure, you could employ the handy old pressure cooker, or start with canned beans to begin with, but I believe I’ve found an even better shortcut. It’s time for red lentils to shine.

Paint The Town Red

I’ve never met a red lentil that wanted to stay whole. Instantly blending themselves into a rustic mash without even a passing glance at the immersion blender, they’re ideal for creating quick, creamy refritos on the fly. Moreover, their mild, earthy sweetness readily melds with savory aromatics, smoked paprika, and a touch of lime. Thickening into a supple, savory spread that clings beautifully to tortillas, toast, or whatever vehicle happens to be nearby, it’s remarkable what a few spare pantry staples can do.

Love Your Legumes

If you, like me, are late in discovering the joys of a proper refried bean, figuring out what to do with them is the biggest barrier to legume enlightenment. You can very happily eat them straight out of the pot, but you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t look for inspiration further afield. I can only scratch the surface on the multitude of possibilities:

  • Side dish: When the budget is tight, you really can’t beat a meal of brown rice and refried beans. You could serve them alongside any sort of Mexican or Tex-Mex specialties too, from enchiladas to rellenos.
  • Dip: All you need to do is add tortilla chips and boom, you’ve got bean dip! Take a step further by mixing in vegan sour cream, salsa or pico de gallo, and top with vegan cheese and/or cilantro for more festive fare. Don’t forget that 7-layer dip is always a possibility, too.
  • Nachos: Instead of dipping your chips, dollop the refried lentils right on top. This has the added benefit of being able to justify drowning your troubles in gooey queso while still getting a healthy serving of fiber and protein.
  • Tacos, burritos, and quesdillas: Leverage your refritos as the featured protein or let them support another main player in any of your favorite tortilla-based meals. A good bean and cheese burrito is the gold standard for a drunken late night snack, if you ask me.

These are the absolute basics, the classic examples that will never steer you wrong. That said, I’ve seen refried beans used in more imaginative creations like pizza, lasagna, dumplings… We’d be here all day if we kept talking about further adaptations.

Cut Out The Cans

I’m still loathe to buy a can of refried beans. As emergency rations, they excel. For daily subsistence, even on a budget or tight schedule, we can do better. Refried red lentils are my new ride-or-die staple food.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)7 Comments

Cran You Dig It?

Cranberry beans are a confounding lot. Some of them fulfill their titled promise as gleaming crimson, magenta, and maroon-speckled ovoids, bearing a rough resemblance to the fruits of their namesake. Most, however, deviate from that path, appearing in spotty shades of tan, off-white, and even black.

As one may guess, with such a diverse family tree, this worldly bush bean is hard to sum up in a concise little bio. Better known to the Italians as borlotti beans and to Colombians as cargamanto beans, this American native is one worth knowing in any language.

The Un-cranny Origins of Cranberry Beans

Said to have originated in South and Central America, the earliest written records come from Spanish explorers in the 15th century, transporting their culinary discoveries to Europe. Gardeners can’t even agree if these Phaseolus vulgaris are bush beans, pole beans, both, or neither. Regardless, their most striking characteristic isn’t the actual edible bean, but the vibrantly streaked pink and red pods, only seen if you’re so fortunate to find them fresh. Start searching your local farmers markets from late summer through early fall for a real savory treat. Shelling them is a meditative joy, and their flavor is unmatched.

What Do Cranberry Beans Taste Like?

Dried cranberry beans, of course, are most common and available all year round. Frequently compared to (and sadly substituted with) pinto beans, it’s a grave disservice to sell them so far short. Though they’re both about the same size, shape, and (sometimes) color, pinto beans will puree themselves if you look at them too hard. Cranberry beans stand firm, without being mealy, bearing a toothsome yet creamy, meaty texture that makes it a popular addition to soups and stews. Their mildly nutty, almost chestnut-like flavor plays well with others, whether kept very lightly seasoned or paired with more potent players.

Traditional Dishes Around the World

Given their extensive history spanning many countries, cranberry beans are associated with a number of beloved traditional dishes.

  • Italy: Pasta e Fagioli & Minestrone
    In Italian kitchens, cranberry beans are often the star of pasta e fagioli, a rustic soup of beans and pasta, simmered with garlic, rosemary, and olive oil. They also frequently make an appearance in minestrone, adding body and protein to the vegetable-rich broth.
  • Portugal: Feijão à Portuguesa
    This traditional Portuguese dish features cranberry beans stewed with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and sometimes chouriço (smoked sausage). It’s served with rice or crusty bread.
  • Brazil: Feijão Tropeiro
    Though typically made with black beans, regional variations use cranberry beans sautéed with cassava flour, greens, and spices. It’s a dish born from the resourcefulness of traveling merchants and remains a comfort food classic.
  • United States: Three Sisters
    Native Americans passed on their wisdom of bringing together the essential combination of corn, beans, and squash. The cranberry bean helps fix nitrogen and add nutrients that replenish the soil, making it a beneficial addition for both the planet and the planters.

In today’s global kitchen, the sky’s the limit. They’re fantastic tossed into salads, blended into veggie burgers, made into meatless loaves and balls, and pureed as creamy bean dip.

How To Cook Cranberry Beans

Like any larger legume, cranberry beans can benefit from an overnight soak. They’ll cook faster when they hit the heat and be more digestible in the long run. Drain the soaking water and cook in six to eight times as much fresh water by volume.

  • Stove top: Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for about 1 hour, adding more water if too much evaporates; they should always remain submerged.
  • Pressure cooker: Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes, then allow for a natural release.
  • Slow cooker: Add enough water to cover the beans by at least an inch, cover, and cook on low for 10 – 12 hours.

Drain well and enjoy hot, or let cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.

Fresh cranberry beans are a whole different ball park. Once shelled, they only need to be simmered with enough water to barely cover for about 10 minutes. Then, you can sauté them with garlic, toss them into salads, and so much more.

Nutrition in Every Nook and Cranny

Beans are the undisputed nutritional champions of the world, bearing volumes of affordable plant protein and fiber in every serving. Cranberry beans are no different, with the added benefit of being notably high in B-vitamins, folate, zinc, manganese copper, calcium, and potassium. Especially high in antioxidants thanks to their trademark coloring, they’re a smart choice for overall health and well being.

When all is said and done, cranberry beans have nothing to do with their fruity namesake. They don’t look like cranberries. They don’t taste like cranberries. They don’t bounce or float like cranberries. The only explanation for their name is that some person with some misappropriated authority had a far more imaginative interpretation of the legume than warranted. The only parallel that can be drawn is that they’re sort of, sometimes, vaguely, red.

Thankfully, none of that matters once you’ve tasted them. Whatever the name, these heirloom beans are at the top of their class. Names may mislead, colors may fade, but such singular texture and unmistakable flavor endures through generations for a reason.

Hannah (BitterSweet)4 Comments