Vegetarian Cuisine
CUBAN BLACK BEAN SOUP –
Warming, earthy and filling soup. Black beans contain a substantial protein content (approx. 15 grams per cup) and fibre content (approx. 15 grams per cup) and in this recipe are enhanced with the goodness of yam (sweet potato). Black beans are linked to health benefits such intestinal health, cardiovascular health (help lower cholesterol) and help balance and regulate blood sugar levels. Serve 4-6.
(This soup recipe may be converted to a filling meal by keeping the mixture thick and some of the beans whole and serving with rice.)
Ingredients:
1¾ cups dried black beans, soaked for 3 -4 hours or use 2 cans black beans. If using canned beans, rinse the beans in clear running water.
4½ cups water – may need to reduce water if using canned beans
1 sweet potato or yam, diced
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger root (optional)
1 or 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Salt (add after cooking beans or they will toughen up)
Yoghurt, sour cream or grated vegetarian cheese to serve (all optional)
Fresh, chopped cilantro to garnish
Preparation:
- Drain dried beans after soaking and place in large pan with water, boil for 10 min and then lower heat.
- Canned beans- set aside while preparing other ingredients.
- To the soaked dried beans, add sweet potato or yam, bay leaf, ginger. Cover and simmer for about an hour or until beans are tender, adding more water if necessary.
- Leave to cool, remove bay leaf and purée in a food processor / blender until soup is smooth.
- For canned bean alternative, simmer the sweet potato/yam with bay leaf and ginger in enough water to cover until cooked. Remove the bay leaf, then purée the sweet potato and cooking liquid with the canned beans in a blender.
- Return purée to pan and add butter or margarine. Season to taste with salt.
- Simmer 10 min and then serve, optionally topped with yoghurt, sour cream or grated cheese. Garnish with cilantro.
This recipe is an edited contribution for the Sivananda Gurugram partly sourced and edited from The Yoga Cookbook. Vegetarian Food for Body and Mind. Recipes from the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres. 1999.
Be calm. Be cheerful. Be courageous. Be self-controlled. – Sri Swami Sivananda
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Glossary
INDRIYAS: The senses.
The Indriyas (senses) have two states, static and dynamic. When the desire begins to operate, the Indriyas are put in motion. This is the dynamic state. As soon as the desire is gratified, the Indriyas shrink through Tripti (satisfaction). This is the static or passive state of the Indriyas.
The Mind and Indriyas are one. Indriya is a prolongation of the mind. The sea is fed by the rivers; the sea cannot exist without the rivers. Even so, mind is fed by Indriyas and cannot exist without Indriyas. If you have controlled the Indriyas, you have already controlled the mind.
Eyes can only see. Ears can only hear. Tongue can only taste. Skin can only touch. Nose can only smell. But, the mind can see, hear, taste, touch and smell. Mind is the common sensory. The five senses are blended there. It can directly see, hear, smell, taste and feel independent of the senses. It is an aggregate of the five senses. All the sense-faculties are blended in the mind. You can see and hear directly through the mind by Yogic practice (clairvoyance and clairaudience).
Vasikaran – In this highest stage of Vairagya, the objects no longer tempt you. They cause no attraction. The Indriyas are perfectly quiet. Mind also is free from likes and dislikes (raga and dwesha). Then you get supremacy or independence. Now you are conscious of your supremacy.
Kaivalya (perfect independence) is when the Indriyas are drawn into the mind, the mind into the Mahat, and the Mahat into the Purusha. – Sw. Sivananda
MAHAT: the Universal mind; the Cosmic mind
No one who is thirsting for name, fame, power and lordship and enjoyment here… or elsewhere, can achieve success in Yoga. – Sri Swami Sivananda