Aduki or adzuki beans are small, reddish-brown in colour, rounded in shape with a point at one end. They have a strong, nutty, sweet flavour, and are much used in the macrobiotic diet. Aduki beans most likely originate from China, and are imported from China and Thailand where they are harvested in November and December. In the Orient, adzuki beans are usually cooked to a red soft consistency and served with such ingredients as coconut milk. They are also cooked with rice, their bright colour tinting the rice an attractive pink.

Ingredients:
125g aduki beans, soaked and cooked (save the cooking liquid) 
Olive oil
1  onion, chopped 
2  cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed 
1  medium leek, washed, halved lengthwise and sliced thickly 
1  large carrot, cut into long julienne strips 
250g mushrooms, cut into chunks unless very small 
1  tablespoon sweet paprika 
2  tablespoons oatmeal flour (whole-wheat flour may be used instead) 
1  vegetable stock cube 
1  tablespoon soy sauce 
1  tablespoon tomato paste 
1 (400  g) can canned tomatoes, chopped  or blended
fresh ground black pepper 
fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped 
chilli sauce  to taste

3 servings; 1 hour

Method:
Soak beans for 3 hours, drain, and bring to the boil in fresh water. When boiling, simmer beans for 15-20 minutes.
Sauté the onion in the olive oil until golden.
Add the garlic, leek, carrot and mushrooms, and cook for another 5 minutes, until the vegetables are just soft.
Mix in the paprika and flour and stir for another minute.
Add the remaining ingredients, including the part cooked aduki beans, plus enough reserved bean cooking liquid to half-cover the ingredients. Add stock cube.
Stir well, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more cooking liquid if it gets too dry.
Season with black pepper and parsley and serve.