A great recipe to warm up to on cold wintry days, this comforting stew is also great to support digestive health. Black beans are rich in fibre, iron, magnesium, potassium, and folic acid. Butternut squash is another amazingly nutrient-rich food that keeps the colon healthier.
I added longan fruit (shown in the image above). Called long yan rou, this herb is used to address insomnia, anxiety, palpitations, dizziness, forgetfulness, and more. It nourishes the TCM version of Blood and calms the nervous system, but it is not a sedative. You can find this herb in Chinatown, a Chinese herbal shop, or the specialty section of some grocery stores. If you don’t have this herb, you can leave it out or put in dried apricots, as the original recipe called for.
Nourishing and Calming Black Bean Curried Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp coconut, avocado, or grape oil or ghee
- 2 540ml cans black beans
- 6 cups butternut squash cubed; you can buy fresh and cut it yourself or you can buy pre-cut and frozen
- 1 medium-sized onion diced
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 Tbsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/8 to 1/4 cup dried longan fruit the original recipe uses 8 chopped dried apricots
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, saute the onions in your oil or ghee, until the onion is golden brown.
- Add the cubed butternut squash and saute for about 5 minutes, until slightly browned.
- Stir in curry powder, cinnamon, and pepper and saute for about another minute.
- Add vegetable broth and stir, making sure to get any pieces stuck to pan.
- Stir in black beans and longan fruit (or apricots).
- Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer, cover, and allow to cook for 30 minutes, or until the squash is soft.