Vegetarian's, you need to try this high-protein bean cake pate recipe that tastes great and is so easy to make. Can feed a family of 4 for £4.
There are more ways to enjoy beans than from a can. Baked beans on toast is legend but if you want to enjoy the great flavour and health benefits of eating beans with some other flavours that you love, this bean cake pate recipe is just what you need.
This bean cake pate is made a bit like a cake because it is baked in the oven just like a cake but it's not sweet unless you want it to be and it's great to eat all on its own with a spoon straight out of the baking dish or spread on to a thick piece of sourdough bread.
Bean cakes are a staple in many parts of Africa and Asia, however, they have much more exotic names and they're fried rather than baked.
Baking makes this recipe much healthier and a lot easier to do cook and way less dangerous than deep frying.
The great thing about this recipe is you don't have to soak the dried beans but only if you are using the widely available black eyes beans, as we are in this recipe.
Preparation time is just 5 minutes and baking time is 30 minutes which means you can be tucking into this nutritious meal in just over 30 mins.
This version contains eggs so it's not vegan friendly, however, it can be made without eggs if you are following a vegan diet. Just make sure to add a bit of extra onion to the mix in order to reduce the density of the finished bake.
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The bean cake pate fully cooked after 30-35 minutes in the oven at 140 degrees celsius. Once fully cooled it can be scooped out in a whole piece using a fish slice.
Bean Pate Ingredients
100g Black Eyed beans (dried)
2 medium sized eggs
1 medium onion
Salt
Black Pepper
Preparation
This is super easy! First, blend the dried black eyed beans in a powerful blender until powdery. You are not looking for a fine powdery finish, a few small lumps of beans in the mix is fine, they add a bit of texture to the finished bake.
Next, decant the bean powder into a bowl and set it aside. Roughly chop the onion and place in the blender with a bit of water. Give that a blend until you get a runny consistency.
Now crack the two eggs into the bowl with the dry bean powder and give it a good mix. Once the eggs and properly combined, add the blended onion to the bowl and stir into the bean and egg mix. Now all you need to do is add salt to taste and some black pepper.
For the non-vegetarians out there, you can beef up the mix by adding some animal protein to the mix, such as a chunk of fresh tuna, some anchovies or chicken livers also work well if you like their flavour.
You are also free to experiment with herbs and spices that you like. Just add a little of your favourite herb or spice to the mix and see if you like how it turns out.
A Magimix blender does a good job of pulsing the dry black eyed beans to a fine powder consistency. Any other good quality blender should be able to do the job nicely too.
Cooking
With the main mix complete and ready to bake, it's time to preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. While the oven is warming up, grease a baking dish and pour the mixture in.
Please note that the mixture shouldn't be more than 7cm in height otherwise the sides of the bake will overcook and potentially burn before the centre of the bake is properly cooked.
This mixture will bake in the oven just fine as is but if you want the final bake to be moist instead of dry, you should cover the baking tray with tin foil and place the baking dish in a bain marine. This helps the mix cook evenly, quickly and makes the final result nice and moist, perfect for spreading.
If you don't cover the mix with tin foil before baking, the final product will have a dry/crispy layer on top of the bake which isn't great for spreading. However, some people like the combination of dry/crispy top with a smooth and soft centre. It's all down to personal choice and taste.
Whichever baking method you're going for, just reduce the heat to 140 degrees celsius before placing the tray in the oven and leave to cook undisturbed for 30-35 mins.
Once it's been baking for 30-35 minutes, take out of the oven and check if the bake if fully cooked. This is done in the same way as you would test to see if a cake is cooked. Insert a knife into the centre of the bake and remove to see if the knife dry. That means it's cooked and time to leave to rest for 10-15 mins.
Serving instructions
Once slightly cooled, you can enjoy this bake all on it's own with a side of fresh vegetables. The high protein and carbohydrate contents of the dish ticks all your macronutrient boxes. With a bit of extra veg on the side, you're on to a winner.
To make the meal even more filling, a really nice loaf of sourdough bread, thickly sliced and toasted to perfection is the ideal foundation to spread a load of this bean cake pate on.
Just like baked beans on toast, this meal is super cheap and can feed a family of 4 for under £4.
A 500g bag of black eyed beans costs just £1.40 and 150g is enough to make a dish that will easily feed a family of 4 (tht's just 50p for the beans). £1 on eggs if you are making the non-vegan version and another £2.50 for a nice loaf of bread and a bit of veg on the side.
Health benefits of black eyed beans
These unassuming little beans are a nutrition powerhouse, incredibly nutrient-dense, and loaded with plenty of fibre and protein.
Eating black-eyed beans are very filling but can also help with weight loss thanks to their content of protein and soluble fibre. Imagine that, feeling full and losing weight at the same time!
Eating black-eyed beans can also help promote digestive health. Soluble fibre promotes regularity, which keeps your insides moving nicely.
Have a look at the impressive nutritional profile of these beans. It's no wonder less wealthy countries enjoy beans as part of their staple diet.
Energy: 311 Calories - 933kj
Fat: 1.6
Carbohydrates: 54.1g of which sugars 14g
Fibre: 8.2g
Protein: 23.5
Salt: Trace
We hope you have enjoyed reading this recipe and have made a note to try it out one day. It's very easy to make and makes much more of a ceremony than beans on toast.
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