Every day legume day - NRC - World News

A week from today, February 10, is World Pulses Day. This day was created by the United Nations in 2018, and although I have read few resolutions since law school, A/RES/73/251 proved worth studying. What is interesting is that it not only mentions why legumes are healthy for both humans and animals and that legume crops have nitrogen-fixing properties that contribute to a fertile soil. It is also explicitly stated that women are mainly responsible for growing legumes and it is emphasized how important it is to ’empower’ them. Hear hear.

In fact, for health reasons alone, every day should be legume day. While the Dutch Nutrition Center still very sparingly advises eating legumes at least once a week, scientific research seems to indicate that it is much healthier to consume a (modest) portion of them daily. Legumes may contain just too little of two essential amino acids, but when you combine them with grains, which are rich in methionine and cysteine, you still get a complete protein package. When you combine legumes with fresh vegetables (or at least with vitamin C), they are also a good source of iron. In addition, they are also packed with fiber.

The reason I’m starting to talk about World Pulses Day this weekend, a week before it’s due, is that it is the first Saturday of the month, a day on which we usually prepare a classic. And the list of requested classics has been waiting for a chili sin carne for some time now. So that’s it today: chili. Let’s just make something with legumes next week.

Chile has its origins in northern Mexico; the first descriptions of stews spiced with chili peppers date from the early sixteenth century. From here the dish made its way to southern Texas, where it was served at the end of the nineteenth century in so-called ‘chili joints’, simple eating places, often run by Mexican women (hear hear) who became ‘chili queens’ named. It was popular working man’s food, hearty, nutritious and cheap, and every chili chef had her or his own, often secret, recipe.

Today, chili is the official dish of the state of Texas. Hundreds of chili competitions are held every year under the strict watch of The Chili Appreciation Society International (CASI). In addition, it is legally prohibited to put beans in it. And this fact brings us to that adjective sin carne. It is indisputable that chili was traditionally a meat stew, and it is not without reason that its full name is chili con carne. Beans are an addition from the early twentieth century, and about a hundred years later a chili with meat and beans also passes for authentic – well, except among the puritans of the CASI. But what if you leave out the meat completely?

This first happened in the 1960s and 1970s, a period when vegetarianism began to flourish. The innovative recipe was a hit with both meat abandoners and people who were no longer allowed to eat red meat by their doctors, and voilà, a new Tex-Mex classic was born: chili sin carne.

Chili without meat

Not that I have anything against chili with carne, but I think chili is a typical dish in which you don’t have to do without meat at all. The beans, thanks to the chili peppers, spices, and in my case beer and chocolate, are more than satisfying. It is an ideal meal for (large) families or groups, especially if you place all kinds of containers with toppings around it so that everyone can dress their own beans. That immediately looks very festive. And you don’t have to add all the toppings; just choose a few that you like.

You can adjust the heat of the chili to your own taste. A bit of spice is necessary, so I would say use at least 1 fresh chili pepper – if you remove the seeds you get the flavor, but much less heat – and maybe a pinch of cayenne pepper as well. If you are cooking for a bunch of chili heads, go all out with at least 2 fresh chili peppers (more is also possible) and as much cayenne pepper as you dare. Something about the beans: I soaked 200 g black and 200 g kidney beans and cooked them for 7 minutes under high pressure in my Instant Pot. Without high pressure they need about 1.5 hours (after 8 hours of soaking). But there is also nothing wrong with using beans from a jar (or bag or can).

for 6 persons:

4 tbsp olive oil; 2 onions, chopped; 2 red chili peppers, with or without seeds, finely chopped; 2 red peppers, chopped; 1 green pepper, chopped; 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1.5 tbsp cumin powder; 1 tbsp dried oregano; 1.5 tsp cayenne pepper; 1 bottle of lager (0.33 ml each); 2 cans of tomato pieces (400 ml each); 1 tsp smoked paprika powder; 800 g cooked beans (for example kidney and/or black and/or brown beans), drained; 30 g dark chocolate (70%), coarsely chopped

the toppings:

finely chopped red onion, natural tortilla chips, tacos and/or tortillas, cooked rice, finely chopped iceberg lettuce, cubes of avocado and/or guacamole, coarsely chopped fresh coriander, sour cream, Tabasco, fresh and/or pickled jalapeno peppers, lime wedges, grated cheddar

Heat the olive oil in a heavy frying pan and fry the onions with a small pinch of salt until soft and caramel-colored. Fry the chili peppers and garlic for 1 minute. Add the pepper pieces, turn the heat up a little and fry for 3 minutes. Add the cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon salt and fry for another minute. Add the beer, tomato pieces and smoked paprika powder. Bring everything to the boil, place a lid on the pan at an angle, turn the heat down and let the sauce simmer gently for 1 hour.

Add the beans and, if the sauce has thickened a lot, a dash of water. Bring everything to the boil again, turn the heat down and let it simmer, without the lid this time, for another 20 – 30 minutes. Stir the chocolate into the chili. Taste and season with salt if necessary. Place the pan with chili on the table and place small bowls with all the toppings around it. Let everyone decorate their own chili.

Would you also like to request a classic? Email your request to [email protected]

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Every day legume day – NRC