I have always wanted to incorporate more meatless meals into our weekly meal prep, but because anything that included beans made me super-gassy and did NOT agree with my digestion I had a tendency to avoid most vegetarian recipes.
It seemed as though every time I ate beans I was left feeling bloated and gassy, and it lead me to shying away from them altogether. Does this sound like you, too? Well, it is important to understand that you are not alone. Many people struggle with eating this protein-rich plant because beans contain a LOT of fiber and short chain sugars called oligosaccharides, which are stored in large amounts on the outer coating of the bean. Beans are actually not fully digested until they reach the colon, where the resident bacteria get to work, the fermentation process happens and gas (sometimes in large amounts) is produced.
Luckily, I have discovered that there are some ways to make beans more digestion-friendly, and one of them is adding SPICES to your food!
Spices have been used for centuries for stimulating digestion, improving liver function and speeding up transit time in the digestive tract. For instance, adding spices like ginger, coriander, cumin, garlic, cumin and turmeric to a dish like this can help change the way you digest the beans, and result in a much more pleasant dining experience for you (and everyone around you!).
These spices also have carminitive properties, meaning they will actually help reduce gas and boating.
So, before you count beans out as one of your next meatless options, try spicing them up, making our Chana Masala and see the difference in how your digestion responds.
AKOS InstantPot Chana Masala
Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
Ingredients
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil or Ghee
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced or 1 tsp of ground ginger
1 tsp red chili powder
½ tsp garam masala
1 ½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp. cumin
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 ½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 can (28 oz) tomatoes, with juice
1.5 cups water or vegetable broth
2 cans (14 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 Lemon Wedges
Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish, (optional)
Directions
1. Select saute setting on the Instant Pot and heat the oil or ghee.
2. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the ginger and garlic and
saute until aromatic, about 1 minute.
4. Add the coriander,cumin, salt, chili powder, turmeric, garam masala and chickpeas; pour in the 1.5 cups water/broth; and stir well with a wooden spoon nudging loose any browned bits from the pot bottom.
5. Secure the lid and set the pressure release to sealing. Press the Cancel button to reset the cooking program, then select pressure cook/manual (hi) and set the cooking time to 6minutes.
6. Allow natural pressure release. Open the Instant Pot and stirin the tomatoes. Select the high saute setting and cook until the tomatoes soften, about 5 more minutes. Squeeze in lemon and garnish with cilantro.
Serve over basmati rice, steamed broccoli or as-is!
Enjoy!
Note
To make this in your crockpot cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Click HERE to watch me make this recipe LIVE!