Baked Adzuki Beans With Eggplant And Tomatoes

This isn't quite a stew, a chili, or a ratouille, yet it reminds me a bit of each. You'll just have to try it for yourself and see what you think. Whatever you want to call it, we call it tasty. Can be served as a side dish as well, but we like it on it's own accompanied by a nice loaf of a crusty bread. Plan ahead, the preparation time does not include three hour soaking time for the beans.

Steps

Pick over and discard any damaged beans or stones.

Rinse the beans , then place in a sauce pan adding plenty of water to cover.

Soak for a minimum of three hours.

Drain the beans and return to the sauce pan with enough water to cover by 2 inches.

Add the bouquet garni and bring water to the boil.

Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until the beans are tender.

Drain and set aside , discarding the bouquet garni.

Place the eggplant cubes in a colander and sprinkle with kosher or sea salt.

Let drain for 30 minutes , then rinse and pat dry with paper towels.

Pre-heat oven to 375f.

In a large frying pan over medium heat , heat 4 tbs of the olive oil then add the eggplant and saute until lightly browned on all sides.

When the eggplant has browned , transfer to a large baking dish.

In the same frying pan , heat the remaining 2 tbs olive oil and saute the onion until it begins to soften but not brown.

Add in the garlic and continue to saute 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes , stock , alls.

Ingredients

adzuki beans, bouquet garni, eggplants, kosher salt, olive oil, onion, garlic, chopped tomatoes, chicken stock, ground allspice, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, fresh basil, parmesan cheese