LEGUMES

Legumes are described as being an erect or climbing bean or pea plant of the family Leguminosae, or the fruit or seed of a bean or pea plant having a two-valved case containing seeds that splits along both sides when ripe.

Beans are low in fat and loaded with nutrients, but they’re known to cause a lot of flatulence. There are ways to minimize this gassy effect. Try changing periodically while you're soaking or cooking beans to get rid of more of the indigestible complex sugars that create gas in the intestine. It also helps to cook the beans thoroughly. Peas and beans that are eaten fresh may also be found in the Vegetables section.

Adzuki Beans, Black (Azuki)

Black Adzuki beans aren't as common as the red Adzukis, but they're sweeter and easier to digest. The black also cook more quickly than the red.

Adzuki Beans, Red

Red Adzukis are also sweet and easy to digest. These are the beans used to make Japanese sweet red bean paste. They're wonderful in soups and salads, and hole their shape nicely.

Black Turtle Beans (Frijole Negro)

Black Turble beans are a staple of Latin American and Caribbean cuisine. They have a strong, earthy flavor, and combine well with other strong flavorings.

Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)

Chickpeas are featured in many Indian dishes and are excellent cooked in many ways. They have a nutty flavor that works well in soups, pastes (hummus), stews, etc. Dried Chickpeas are hard and take a lot of soaking ing cooking time. The canned version hold their shapae well, and cook very quickly.

Fava Beans (Broad, Butter Bean)

Fava beans have a strong, 'meaty' flavor that lends itself to meat substitute dishes. Get them fresh in the fall, and choose the larger beans for the best flavor. Fresh young Fava beans need only be shelled, but mature beans must also be peeled to get rid of the waxy skin surrounding each bean. Blanch the shelled beans for a minute in boiling water, then plunge them into cold water, to easily pull off the skins.

Groundnut (Peanut)

In spite of its common name, the Peanut or Groundnut is actually a legume rather than a nut!

Lima Beans

Lima beans have a nice, buttery flavor that's great in sabjis and soups. Fresh summer Limas in the pod are a treat, but most cooks use the dried beans. These beans are harder to digest than many others.

Pinto Beans

Pinto beans are beige with brown streaks when dried, turning a pinkish-brown shade when cooked. They're often used to make refried beans and chili, and will cook soft without losing their shape.

Rajmah (Kidney Beans)

Rajmah, or Kidney Beans, are a highly nutritious and a popular legume. According to Ayurveda, Rajmah is Balkarak (strengthens), diuretic, Poushtik (nutritious), Krimi Nashak (wormicidal), and strengthens stomach. Rajmah are a beautiful shade of dark red when cooked, and hold their shape very nicely.

Soybeans

Soybeans are nutritional powerhouses and are extremely versatile in recipes of all types. Soybeans are used in salad oil, tofu, soy sauce, soy milk and cheese, and many other items. The actual beans need to be soaked a long time and they are somewhat hard to digest, but they're extremely nutritious. See the Meat Substitutes section for many soy-based foodstuffs.