What does lima beans hide in themselves and what exactly are they good for health. What you didn't know about these beans yet, and how to cook them to make them beautiful and tasty. Note! Since the benefits of lima beans lie primarily in the saturation of vegetable protein, it is recommended to use it for vegans and bodybuilders.
Harm and contraindications to the use of lima beans
The beans always undergo long-term heat treatment, as a result of which they become soft, pleasant to the taste and harmless to the stomach. This allows you to reduce the amount of dietary fiber in the composition, irritating the walls of the stomach and intestines. The only danger is raw fruits, which can injure the mucous membrane and cause stool disorders. Therefore, in no case should you use them in this form, all the more so without first soaking them in water.
It is recommended to eat both boiled and raw beans to a minimum for the following problems:
- Constipation … Here it is absolutely all the same what they are caused by - malnutrition or some kind of disease (colitis, enterocolitis, ulcer).
- Gastritis … In the exacerbation stage, legumes should be completely excluded, and during the period of remission, consume no more than 200 g per week and only in a well-boiled form.
- Cholecystitis … Eating lima beans can result in an increase in bilirubin, yellowing of the skin, nausea, and even vomiting. In this case, do not be surprised by abdominal pain, bloating and flatulence.
- Colitis … It is allowed to consume only 100-200 g of the product per week in the absence of relapses. The fact is that Peruvian fruits contain many aggressive acids that irritate the already problematic intestinal mucosa.
- Individual intolerance … This occurs only in 2-5% of all cases, as a result of which the stomach begins to ache and vomit. With such symptoms, you should drink pure water and activated carbon, following the instructions for it.
- Renal failure … In most cases, this disease is contraindicated to consume a large amount of protein, an excess of which can cause uremic coma.
Note! Beans are a rather heavy product that is difficult for the body to digest. Therefore, you should not give it in large quantities to small children (up to a year), pregnant women and with indigestion.
Lima Bean Recipes
Both fresh beans and dried beans are suitable for eating. They are used for preparing first and second courses, salads and canning, added to bread. Recipes for lima beans are very popular, telling how to cook mashed potatoes, porridge, stews. They are especially relevant for children and vegetarians who are faced with a lack of protein in their diet. Such a product perfectly complements meat, fish, and other vegetables and turns out to be delicious in any form. It is also important that it can be stored in a basement or closet without any problems; a refrigerator is not at all necessary for this.
We offer several recipes for simple and delicious dishes:
- Curry … Wash and soak the beans for 6 hours, then boil them in salted water. This ingredient will need about 400 g. Then peel and chop 2 onions, tomatoes (3 pcs.), A bunch of cilantro. Transfer all this to the beans, salt, pepper, fill with homemade tomato paste, half diluted with water. There should be enough liquid so that the mass is completely covered with it. Next, pour in 5 tbsp. l. coconut oil, add 1, 5 tbsp. l. curry and chili to taste. Fry all this, stew under a closed lid and arrange on plates, decorating with lettuce leaves. The dish turns out to be very spicy, so you should put water next to you.
- Shrimp garnish … They will need about 350 g in a purified form, from this amount you will get three servings. Keep the ingredients on low heat in salted water until tender, mix with boiled beans (1, 5 cups), chopped green onions (bunch), parsley (2-3 sprigs) and chopped garlic (4 cloves). Top with white wine (50 ml) and olive oil (5 tablespoons). This dish is served while still warm, preheated in the microwave.
- Puree … It will be great both in pure form and as a filling for pies, pies, etc. To do this, wash, soak for 5 hours and then boil the beans (500 g). Then drain the water, salt it, add butter (100 ml) and pour the mixture well. The finished dish can be laid out on a plate in the form of a slide and garnished with a sprig of cilantro. If you plan to add it to baked goods, then first it must cool down.
- Paella … This is the most delicious national dish in Spain, for the preparation of which you first need to rinse under running water, dry and fry 200 g of quinoa. Then do the same with bacon (150 g), after removing the film and kneading it with a fork. Now add finely chopped onion and pepper (1 pc.), Boiled beans (1 cup) and garlic twisted in a meat grinder (5 cloves), mix the mass. Wait until the whole thing is soft and pour over with lemon juice (15 ml). Next, transfer the mixture to a saucepan, cover with water, add chopped tomatoes (2 pcs.), Diced chorizo (150 g) and bell peppers (1 pc.). At the end, pepper and salt the dish, leaving to simmer for 20 minutes over low heat.
- Canned beans … Wash it and soak (3 kg) for a day, adding a little soda to the water. At this time, chop carrots (0.5 kg), onions (1 kg), garlic (2 pcs.) And bell peppers (5 pcs.). Mix all this, cover with tomato (5 l), salt and pepper, sugar to taste and boil for 20 minutes. Next, boil the main ingredient, mix with the gravy and place in sterilized jars. Pour 1 tsp into each. vinegar and roll them up. This salad can be used with potatoes, pasta, cereals at any time of the year.
- Borsch … Chop white cabbage (head), tomatoes (3 pcs.), Grate one beet and carrot, chop 1 onion. Fry all this, fill with tomato (250 ml), salt and pepper. While the frying is cooking, boil pre-soaked beans (1 cup) and potatoes (3 pcs.) In chicken broth. Now add the gravy, salt and pepper to taste. Serve the finished dish with sour cream, parsley and toasted bacon.
Important! Before eating, the fruits are always soaked for at least 3 hours and boiled to make them softer.
Interesting facts about lima beans
Despite the fact that this representative of the "Legumes" family comes from Peru, most of all he is loved not there, but in England. Here it is added to almost all dishes - soups, side dishes, salads and even desserts. Sociologists have calculated that the inhabitants of foggy Albion eat up to 100 tons of beans of this variety per year.
The largest cultivation areas are in China, India, Mexico, Bolivia and Peru. There are considerable landings in Madagascar and Burma. In the CIS countries, as well as in Western Europe, this variety is cultivated only on the spot - in the Krasnodar Territory, in the North Caucasus and southern Bulgaria, on the coast of Portugal and Spain.
Lima beans are of two types - large and small. The first is characterized by large fleshy fruits, and the second is usually softer and smaller. In both cases, when ripe, unlike classic varieties, the pods almost never open.
When choosing this vegetable, you should pay special attention to the color of the beans: if it is pale, then this indicates their immaturity. The surface is also important, which should be relatively smooth, without roughness and rotten areas. A rough and hard skin indicates a tasteless fruit that is likely to be tough and even bitter after cooking.
What to cook from lima beans - watch the video:
If you have not found any contraindications for lima beans, then feel free to choose it for the first and second courses, salads. It is really very healthy and tasty, the main thing is to cook the beans correctly.
