Here in India, we have sooo much variety in our legumes and pulses, that it would be a tragedy to train here and not utilize them in some vegetarian recipes. I know some people would say that you can’t get really conditioned eating beans because of their high carbohydrate content, (most beans are 15-30% protein, a small percentage of fat and the rest is all complex carbs) but I’ve been looking at pictures from www.veganbodybuilding.com, and I’m entirely convinced that it is indeed possible to get ready for a show eating vegetable-based proteins. I’m going to continue to incorporate more recipes into my repertoire, and I came up with this one,, my “Mumbai” stew, in savasana last week. (Savasana is actually where I come up with most of my better ideas, lol). This stew has become another all-time-favorite, and luckily I made enough of it to feed one of the other yoga teachers a deep bowl, as well as stock 6 tupperwear containers to have throughout the week. Sadly, I finished the last bowl today. It’s a stand alone meal, but I like to throw on 2 – 3 oz of seared paneer just to round out the flavors. The combination is pretty divine, and the paneer contributes a solid amount of protein, almost 20 grams in 3 oz, and that’s in addition to the protein from the beans! I should mention that paneer is also very high in fat, so if you are cutting back on your total fat intake, be careful unless you are buying paneer made from skim-milk. 3 oz has 23 grams of fat! Personally, I would rather cut back on added fats like ghee and vegetable oils, and eat whole eggs, nuts, fatty fish and paneer, but I will most likely cut out paneer the final 2 or 3 weeks unless I am already getting lean enough using other tools. The weekly progress pix will tell!
3 cups dried red beans, soaked overnight, then drained and rinsed
salt
2 tablespoons ghee
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 tsp fresh grated ginger
3 cloves garlic
1/2 green chili
1 tsp each: cumin, coriander, cardemom, tumeric
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch chili powder
2 sticks cinammon, 1″ pieces
1 1/2 tablespoon tomato concentrate, (the italian tubes are best)
5 roma tomatoes chopped
2 oz paneer
1 tsp ghee
masala spice
First, cook off the beans in a heavy pot, with a good amount of salt, (start with 3/4 teaspoon). They should take about 50 minutes, or if you have a pressure cooker, about 25 minutes. The beans should be cooked through but not mushy, and not al dente either. When they are close to being done, get another pot started with the ghee, and brown the onion for 4 or 5 minutes on medium-high heat. Then add the garlic and all of the spices, let cook for about 1 minute, and then throw in the tomato concentrate with the tomatoes, and let cook for about 3 minutes. Add the beans, about 1/3 cup water, and bring everything to a simmer. Turn down the heat and let cook slowly for another 1/2 hour or until all the flavors have blended. Taste and adjust the seasoning if it needs it. Depending on your stove, you may have to add more water as it cooks down to prevent burning.
When you’re ready to serve it, get a skillet hot with some ghee, cut about 2 oz of paneer into 1/2″ cubes, and sautee the paneer until it is golden brown on all sides. Sprinkle with a bit of tikka masala and salt, and serve on top of the stew. This dish is high in fiber, minerals, protein, and also fat and complex carbohydrates. This is a favorite post leg and post metabolic workout meal for me!!!
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