Red Bean Stew Just Like Grandma Used to Make

My grandfather was an athlete too.

He was a striker for the "Hakoah Vienna" (SC Hakoah Wien) football team in the 1930s in Vienna.

For those who don't know, this was the football team of the Jewish sports association in Vienna.

The team even managed to reach the Austrian National League.

Not long after, on the eve of World War II, the Germans closed the club and the association and nationalized the stadium.

My grandfather, Ludwig (Yehuda) Leffler the footballer, immigrated to Israel to make the desert bloom and also played a lot of football with the British and the Arabs.

My grandmother would cook him protein-rich dishes to make him strong.

As a pioneer who arrived from Europe in the 1930s, she cooked heavy and very rich European food.

Usually with a lot of heavy beef and fat.

But when meat wasn't available (it was the austerity period, after all), she would cook a red bean stew rich in flavors and vegetables, swimming in a wonderful red sauce.

She would serve it over rice (or ptitim) with a small salad of tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers, and a glass of cold water on the side.

It was a wonderful, delicious, and comforting dish, the way only grandmothers' food can be.

In honor of the photoshoot for this post, I pulled out my grandmother's blue tablecloth from storage, and for a moment, I could imagine how she would set the table in their small, modest kitchen and place this wonderful stew on it.

There's nothing like food to remind us of the people we love who are no longer with us.

 

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A post shared by Haggai Leffler - Vegan Athlete (@haggai_leffler) on Sep 16, 2018 at 2:30am PDT

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How do you eat it?

One serving of red bean stew combined with a portion of carbohydrates, such as rice, ptitim, or bread, can be a perfect lunch or dinner that is very rich in protein, dietary fiber, and essential minerals.

Perfect for a cutting phase, due to its high fiber and protein content.

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Nutritional values by Nutritionist and Fitness Coach Noam Bachar

One serving out of 3 (+ without rice)

330 kcal

30g carbohydrates

25g protein

14g fat (2g saturated fat)

10g dietary fiber

A little about the recipe

I changed the recipe slightly and adapted it to the Israeli palate. I added olive oil, which is preferable to the sunflower oil my grandmother used, added garlic and a bit of cilantro, and the result is nothing less than wonderful.

Want to make bean soup? Here is the recipe.

Print

Red Bean Stew

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 60 minutes

Total Time 70 minutes

Servings 3 servings

Ingredients

• 250 g red beans before cooking
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 carrot peeled and diced
• 1 celery root peeled and diced
• 1 level tbsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp silan (date syrup)
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 bunch cilantro coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 leaves of sage
• 1 tsp spicy paprika optional - if you like it a bit spicy

Instructions

1. Soak 250g red beans (about one cup) in 3 cups of water overnight (8 hours).
2. The next morning, drain the soaking water and transfer the beans to a large pot.
3. Add 3 cups of water and a teaspoon of baking soda, then bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes without a lid.
5. After 20 minutes, add the diced celery root, carrot, sage leaves, and cilantro, and continue to cook for 40 minutes over very low heat.
6. After 40 minutes, the beans should be very soft.
7. If there's a lot of liquid left in the pot, drain some of the cooking water, leaving about one cup in the pot.
8. Add the spices, garlic, and tomato paste, stir, and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes just to heat the dish through.
9. Turn off the heat and serve hot over rice or ptitim, topped with a bit more chopped cilantro.