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Butter beans with cabbage

Soft beans with cabbage, carrots and well-browned buttery onions

A simple, homely East African dish of butter beans (or kidney beans) tossed with tender cabbage and carrots in butter with deeply browned onions. It's mild, filling and good for every day; the book's Handy Hints note that cabbage is high in fibre and good for digestion. Serve hot with chapati, rice or ugali.
Total time
55 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
5
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Ingredients

Serves5

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What you'll need

Fresh ingredients (5)

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Method

0/6 done
  1. Step 1: Soak 14 oz dried butter beans or kidney beans in plenty of water overnight, then drain.

  2. Step 2: Pressure cook the beans in fresh water until tender (about 15 minutes after the first whistle; kidney beans must boil hard and be completely soft). Drain.

    25 min
  3. Step 3: Boil 4 ½ oz carrots and 3 ⅞ oz cabbage with ½ cup water and a pinch of ¼ tsp salt until just tender. Drain.

    6 min
  4. Step 4: Heat 4 tbsp butter in a pan and fry 2 ⅝ oz onions until well browned.

    6 min
  5. Step 5: Add the beans, vegetables and remaining ¾ tsp salt and toss over the heat for 2–3 minutes.

    3 min
  6. Step 6: Garnish with 1 tomato slices and serve hot.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
340 kcal
Protein
16 g
Carbs
42 g
Fat
11 g
Fibre
13 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does butter beans with cabbage take?
About 55 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
5 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
Is it gluten free?
Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
What can I use instead of cabbage?
Savoy or spring greens, same weight.
What can I use instead of carrots?
Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.

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