Two Moreish Monsoon Meals - Jo’s Portuguese Bean Stew & Lentil and Vegetable Crumble.

These two dishes are just the ticket for when you are feeling the need of some comfort food to help you through the heavy rain and dark cloudy days in Goa. 

Jo’s Portuguese Bean Stew

This glossy red bean stew, spiced with cumin warms your cockles on a wet monsoon day.  Traditionally red kidney beans would be used, but I like to use the Audki Bean.

Tiny round, hard, dark, red beans very popular in the Far East.  They have a good nutty flavour and make a useful substitute for mince in a dish, rich in protein. 

225g  Aduki Beans or Red Kidney Beans      6 Tablespoons Olive oil      Sea salt      Fresh Ground Pepper      1 large onion      4 teaspoons cumin seeds      225g  canned tomatoes OR 300g  fresh tomatoes skinned and chopped in the processor  

Soak the beans for 2 hours in boiling hot water. 

Drain and rinse then put into a saucepan of fresh cold water, bring to the boil, and boil hard for ten minutes.

Add 4 Tablespoons of the oil and then simmer gently, partially covered for 40 minutes, or until tender and most of the water has gone.

Season with salt and pepper.

While the beans are cooking peel, chop the onion, and fry in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, until soft but not brown.

Add the cumin seeds and fry stirring all the time for a couple of minutes.

Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper.

Simmer for 10 minutes then gently add the beans.

Reheat and serve.

Lentil and Vegetable Crumble - Serves 4

When you think of lentils do you think Blah! Bland baby food?  Well this yummy tasty dish will make you see lentils in a different light, trust me. This can be served with a green veg and/ or a nice green salad.  If you really want comfort food, serve with creamy mashed potato and homemade vegetarian gravy.  

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil      1 Large onion    2 Medium carrots      2 sticks celery      175g Red Lentils      1 Teaspoon Herbs de Provence      A good few dashes of Tabasco Sauce or peprico – red pepper sauce       600ml vegetable stock      2 Tablespoons tomato puree      salt and pepper      100g mushrooms      2 small courgettes      25g chopped monkey nuts       50g fresh breadcrumbs      50g cheddar cheese grated

Chop the onion, carrots and celery.

Heat oil in a large saucepan and fry the onions until soft.

Add the carrots and celery and cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in the lentils, herbs, tabasco/pepper sauce, stock, puree, salt, and pepper.

Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft.

Stir in mushrooms and courgettes, cook for 10 minutes.

Pour mixture into shallow ovenproof dish.

Mix nuts, breadcrumbs and cheese together and sprinkle over the top.

Cook under a grill until crisp.