zingy adzuki bean salad & adzuki stuffed roasted pumpkin

This week we serve up 2 savoury Adzuki ideas for you to try out at home: Zingy Adzuki salad to celebrate the end of summer, and Adzuki Stuffed Roast Pumpkin to usher in those autumnal vibes. The delicate, nutty flavour of adzuki lends itself well to savoury dishes too. 

Ingredients:
1 cup dried adzuki beans
¼ tsp toasted sesame oil
3 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
½ tsp finely chopped garlic
1/2 bunch coriander or parsley coarsely chopped
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
pinch chilli flakes
1 tbsp tamari
¼ cup lime juice
1 cup shallots thinly sliced
1 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds 

Method:
The night before you plan to eat:  Put beans in a large bowl, cover with water and let soak for 8 hours or overnight. 

Drain beans and put in a large pot with 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender, approx 50 minutes. Drain and rinse gently under cold water. Set aside to let cool completely. 

Dressing: Put oils, ginger, garlic, coriander or parsley, vinegar, chilli flakes, tamari and lime juice into a jar and shake well. Pour dressing over cooked and cooled beans. Add shallots and carrots and toss gently to combine. Top with sesame and sunflower seeds.

adzuki stuffed roasted pumpkin
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Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried adzuki beans 
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/2 of a butternut pumpkin
1 tbsp miso paste
2 tbsp mirin or apple cider vinegar 

Dressing:
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp minced ginger
pinch of chili flakes
remaining miso–mirin mixture from above 

Garnish:
1/4 cup shallots, finely sliced
1/4 cup walnuts pieces

Method:
The night before you plan to eat: Put beans in a large bowl, cover with water and let soak for 8 hours or overnight. 

Drain beans and put in a large pot with 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender, approx 40 minutes. Drain and set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced). Put walnut pieces on a baking sheet and toast them for 5 minutes. 

Increase oven temperature to 200°C (180°C fan forced). Scoop the seeds out of your pumpkin half and lightly drizzle or brush the cut side with sunflower oil. Place pumpkin cut side down on a lined baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes. 

Mix miso and mirin (or apple cider vinegar) together. Take the pumpkin out of the oven and carefully flip it. Score the pumpkin: cut crisscross pattern onto the surface of the softened pumpkin flesh. Spread 2/3 of the miso mixture over the scored surface of the pumpkin. Return the pumpkin to the oven for 20 minutes. 

Make the dressing by mixing vinegar, lime juice, sesame oil, minced ginger and chili flakes. Add rest of the miso & mirin mixture to the dressing. Add the dressing to beans while they are still hot. 

Add shallots and walnuts to the bean mixture (save some shallots and walnut pieces for garnishing). Stuff roasted pumpkin with bean mixture and garnish with shallot slices and walnuts. Serve with remaining dressing.

PIMP MY RECIPE
If you have any leftover cooked rice, couscous or pasta, add it to the bean mixture. I used some cooked brown rice the last time I made this dish and it made the meal go further as well as adding a new flavour and texture dimension.