So you can’t eat peppers, what do you do?Turns out there are other tangy flavours out there, many of them with anti-inflammatory properties as opposed to otherwise.
Turmeric is a case in point. Earthy, bitter, mustardy and – dare I say it? – even hot and peppery, this often-overlooked spice is a staple of Indian cuisine. And whilst there is little evidence to support turmeric’s medicinal properties, anecdotal evidence is plentiful around the world, particularly in India. Turmeric’s active compound, curcumin, is believed to have not only anti-inflammatory properties, but also anti-oxidant; anti-bacterial; anti-viral; and even anti-tumour effects too. The fact that there haven’t been any clinical trials of note into turmeric’s benefits is criminal; it comes back to the age-old problem of drug companies not wanting to fund research into natural remedies.
For fans of Mexican dishes, this turmeric and cumic-laced refried beans dish is a must. What it lacks in chipotle in cheese it more than makes up for in silk and spice.
240g red kidney beans [23p]
290g silken tofu [£1.85]
1 red onion [59p per pack of 4, so 15p]
1 red onion [59p per pack of 4, so 15p]
3tbsp (18g) ground cumin [41p per 50g, so 15p]
3tbsp (20g) ground turmeric [41p per 50g, so 16p]
2 wholegrain tortillas [£1.00 per pack of 8, so 25p]
TOTAL COST TO MAKE TWO TORTILLAS:
£0.23 + £1.85 + £0.15 + £0.15 + £0.16 +£0.25 = £2.79
£0.23 + £1.85 + £0.15 + £0.15 + £0.16 +£0.25 = £2.79
TOTAL COST PER PORTION: £1.40
ONEPre-heat the oven to 180° and dice the red onion.
TWO
Heat a teaspoonful of coconut oil in a large frying pan. Once it melts, throw in the diced red onion.
THREE
Drain a tin of kidney beans and pour the beans in.
FOUR
Add the cumin and turmeric and stir it through to ensure an even coating over the beans and onions. Fry for 5-10 minutes.
FIVE
Allow the pan to cool before carefully spooning its contents into your blender. Briefly blend them (I find 10-15 seconds is sufficient as we aren’t trying to make a smoothie here, just save ourselves a lot of time bean-bashing with a spoon).
SIX
Rub a little coconut oil on a baking tray and spread out two large, wholegrain tortillas. Spoon half of the mixture onto one, and half onto the other.
Drain the silken tofu and then spoon half onto one tortilla and the rest onto the other. If you want something green inside, add a little spinach or coriander (not accounted for in the nutritional information / costings provided).
EIGHT
Fold the tortillas in half and oven bake for 15-20 minutes, until they are lightly browned and crunchy.
NINE
Serve with spinach and generous lashings of light soy sauce (not accounted for in the nutritional information / costings provided).
