A family favourite

Sunday afternoon lunch is an Indian ritual as sacrosanct as drinking tea is to the English. It is the only time when the whole family can g...

Sunday afternoon lunch is an Indian ritual as sacrosanct as drinking tea is to the English. It is the only time when the whole family can get together, so the meal is painstakingly cooked to ensure a wholesome, balanced spread that will tickle the palates of everyone at the table.

As a child, every alternate Sunday, we were either given Pakoda Kadi or Rajma for lunch. It was also the only day when rice was cooked for lunch in our house. Most North Indians still practice the once-a-week rice regime, so it is worth mentioning that rice is generally cooked on special occasions. Therefore, Sunday lunch was the most sought-after meal and was always given top priority. I don’t know if it was the presence of rice that made Punjabi Kadi and Rajma taste so good. What I can say is that the goodness of Kadi and Rajma cannot be undermined and these two dishes are still hot favourites with me. Whenever I go to Delhi to visit my parents, my mother makes it a point to cook Kadi and Rajma with rice, irrespective of the day of the week.

There are different varieties of Rajma or red kidney beans, sold dried, in almost every country but the main types are normally categorised by their shape, colour and cooking time. For instance, red beans are valued for their colour and their robust, almost sweet flavour that is enhanced by slow cooking.

During their long history, possibly as long as 9,000 years, the popularity of these beans has waxed and waned. In medieval Europe, beans were associated with famine and with Lent when so many other foods were forbidden. The ancient Egyptians associated beans with death.

High in food value and fine in flavour, beans are the closest we have to the perfect vegetable. They provide more energy and protein than either roots or green vegetables. Most beans are a good source of Vitamin B and contain a reasonable amount of Vitamin C, if sprouted. Red kidney beans are valuable in any diet, particularly for vegetarians.

These beans are as high in protein as meat and every 100 gm provides about 300 calories. Though red kidney beans are available dried, it has about 12 per cent water even in its dried state. The carbohydrate percentage in red kidney beans is approximately 55 per cent and has about 4.5 per cent fibre. A half-cup serving contains over seven gm of dietary fibre, which is very good by any standard. Though red kidney beans are a good source of protein, it needs to be teamed with a complementary food, such as rice, to create a complete protein-valuable diet. Particularly since they contain a few of the eight essential amino acids that the body requires but cannot produce by itself.

The good news for cholesterol conscious people is that research on dietary fibre has revealed that eating at least 100 gm of cooked red kidney beans daily can reduce cholesterol levels of over 200 mg/dl — by as much as 20 per cent. So, enjoy Rajma irrespective of its origin or the style that it is cooked in.

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Mexican food also uses red kidney beans in a variety of dishes. In India, Jammu is reputed to have very good quality kidney beans. So, the next time someone is visiting Jammu, ask them to bring you some red kidney beans and walnuts.