Aduki Bean Roll

A substantial main course dish of beans and mushrooms cooked in a crispy pastry case.

Vegetarian; can be made vegan. Hands-on time: 20 mins. Total time: 55 mins (plus soaking).

Contributed by Moira Adams (May 2011).

Aduki beans make an excellent addition to many vegetarian dishes. These flavorsome beans, with their distinctive red-brown color, can be used in stews, casseroles, vegetarian burgers, pâtés and salads. They have a high protein content, and are also a good source of iron.

In this recipe, the beans are combined with a crispy pastry to make a delicious main course dish. It's a recipe that's been in my family for many years (I wish I could remember where it came from). It's always proved popular, both at family meals and dinner parties.

The quantities given here will make four substantial portions if served with potatoes and vegetables or salad. For a vegan version, be sure to use pastry that contains no eggs or butter.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (6 oz, 175 g) dried aduki beans, or one 14-oz (400 g) can
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
• 3 cups (8 oz, 225 g) mushrooms, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 1½ cups (3.5 oz, 100 g) ground almonds
• 9 oz (250 g) any kind of pastry (frozen or fresh; if frozen, defrost thoroughly before use)

Method

If you are using dried beans, put them in a pan with plenty of cold water, and leave to soak for as long as possible - preferably overnight. When you are ready to start cooking, drain the beans, wash them under running water, and return them to the pan. Cover with cold water, and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly for ten minutes, then more gently for a further 20 minutes or until they are completely soft.

In another pan, heat the oil, and fry the onions for about five minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic, and continue to fry for a few minutes more. Remove from the heat.

Use a slotted spoon to remove about half the mushrooms, and set these aside (it doesn't matter if some of the onion and garlic come with them).

Rinse the beans under running water (this applies whether you have just boiled the dry beans or opened a can). Add these to the remaining onion and mushroom mixture. Stir in the ground almonds.

Using a blender or food processor, blend the mixture to a smooth paste. Then mix in the mushrooms that you had earlier set aside.

Next, roll out the pastry to form a 15 x 10 inch (35 x 25 cm) rectangle. Transfer this to an oiled baking tray.

Spread the bean mixture over one half of the pasty. Then fold over the other half, and seal the edges, to form a roll.

Bake for about 35 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 375F (190C), or until the pastry is crisp and golden. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Note on quantities and temperatures:
Quantities are given in American (cups), imperial (oz, fl oz) and metric (g, ml) units. Do not mix the units - use one or other system throughout the recipe.
See also How much does a cup weigh?
oz = ounces, fl oz = fluid ounces, g = grams, ml = milliliters, tsp = teaspoons, tbsp = tablespoons.
Oven temperatures are given in degrees F (Fahrenheit) and C (Celsius).
For fan-assisted ovens, reduce the temperature by 20F or 10C.