I had a vegan version of this classic Brazilian bean stew from Leon restaurant the other day with my friend Soph. Soph and I are always on the look out for new vegan recipes that are really tasty and healthy because her son is vegan. Kefir provides the right flora for the gut which is now being linked to helping with moods too. We loved it so much I have adapted it for my blog and added the cooling kefir, and the mango salsa. So you get all your taste senses catered for…salt and sweet.

Serves 3-4.

Ingredients:
2 carrots thinly sliced
A few glugs of olive oil
1 heaped teaspoon of ground coriander
1 heaped teaspoon of sweet smoked paprika
2 red onions finely sliced
4 cloves of garlic minced
4 fresh bay leaves
1 red pepper diced
2 400g tins of black beans
2 cups of coconut kafir or milk kafir
A sprig of fresh coriander finely chopped
1 ripe mango peeled and cubed
1 lime
1/2 to 1 red chilli very finely diced (optional)

How:
Heat the oil in a large thick bottomed saucepan, and put in the onions, the pepper, the carrots, the bay leaves, the ground coriander and the smoked paprika.
Stir for a few minutes, then turn the heat right down to very low, put the lid on and leave to sweat for 12 minutes.
Now, add the beans with all the liquid they came in and 3 of the garlic cloves, which have been minced, and bring up to a gentle simmer.
Cook gently for another 30 minutes or until it’s reduced to a thick sauce then salt to taste.
Meanwhile, mince the remaining garlic and mix it with the kefir and season with salt. Next, put the mango in a bowl with the diced chilli, the zest and juice from the lime.
I serve the stew with basmati rice or coconut basmati rice with the mango mixture spooned over the top with the kefir and sprinkled with the fresh coriander.  Really yum.

I shop at:
Waitrose
Sainsbury’s
Tesco
Lidl