Amazing bean brownies for click

These bean brownies go to jugalbandi for their click beans event.

yes... brownies made from beans... reactions to this statement are of two types. The first is 'Eww...bean brownies, no way?!!!", and the second type of reaction is 'wow...bean brownies, really? I'm glad mine was of the second type, otherwise I would have never tried this recipe.
Just like the comments to the post where I found this recipe, at 101cookbooks.com, Most people commenting on the post were amazed and some were disgusted at the thought that brownies could be made with beans. Heidi's blog 101cookbooks showcases her amazing rustic, down to earth, healthy recipes, and I love her site for that.

If you like chocolaty goodness that is gudgy fudgy and yummy then you cant miss this recipe!! I was excited too that I could make my son's favourite brownies and he would be taking in more proteins than carbohydrates. Ive made this with kala chana/kadala and this time tried them with beans. The one with kadala had more texture to it as opposed to the beans but both were real chocolate goodness! Next I'm going to try them with chickpeas. This is how I tweaked Heidi's recipe:

- 1 and 1/2 cups boiled beans (you can use tinned too, I boil extra rajma, chole, kadala and keep a cup aside)

- 3 eggs

- 1 cup maple syrup (I'm telling you this brings an amazing flavour to the brownies)

- 4 ounces chocolate (I used 3ounces dark chocolate and 1 ounce normal bar chocolate... the leftover stash from Musicals goody bag)

- 1 stick/4 ounces butter (I used salted here)

- 1/2 cup cashew nuts (coz i couldnt find walnuts in the house)

I ommited coffee powder which Heidi puts in her recipe... see here.

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and grease two 20cm X 20cm (or equivalent size baking pans).

2. Blend/puree the beans to a smooth paste. Use a couple of tbsp of milk to run the blender more smoothly. It should not be lumpy. Roughly chop the cashew nuts.

3. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on high for around 2 minutes or on gas over boiling water. When the chocolate is nearly melted, add the butter and stir togethor.

4. In a large bowl beat the eggs till they are light and fluffy.

5. Add the maple syrup into the beaten eggs and keep beating.

6. Add the melted butter and chocolate into the eggs and syrup mixture.

7. Add the beans puree and cashew nuts and combine togethor.

8. Pour in the greased baking pans to a thickness of not more than 2cm.

9. Bake for about 45 - 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

10. Cool in the pan before cutting into squares. Refridgerate.

Clicking Eggs after completing a year

I just cant believe that Ive been blogging for just over a year now. Most people like me discover the food blogosphere in the quest for a recipe... I was looking for Naranaga Pickle and stumbled upon Injipennu's Ginger and Mango... then onto Asha's Foddie's Hope....and I was amazed at the way these ladies would cook and present their recipes. I was truely inspired... I wanted to make my contribution too and hence (Fusion Food then) and Soul Food now was born... and in the process discovered so many amazing blogs and lovely friends. Food blogging has become such an obsession and even though I dont have very deep archives, I thoroughly enjoyed sharing recipes and finding new recipes and great food ideas.

I get so amused when I think back ... one time putting hubby and baby to sleep and getting up in the middle of the nite to write a post!! Ive met such amazing people who've become such good friends. Asha was the first one to always visit my blog and encourage me frequently, thank you so much dear. There are some who are such darlings with whom Ive exchanged so many emails; and there are those that always come to read about ramblings and comment on my recipes. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

And what better way to celebrate than to click a picture for the cutest couple in the blogosphere, Jay and Bee!!! They've got a cooool event going on to encourage food photography. Its a theme based event and just what I was looking for to push me to take better pictures... This month they want us click some eggs. Ive put a ostrich egg next to normal farm eggs to show a comparison in size. Ostriches are native to Africa and lay the largest eggs in the world. One ostrich egg is equivalent to 2 dozen chicken eggs!!

Wikipedia says: Ostrich eggs can weigh 1.3 kg and are the largest of all eggs, though they are actually the smallest eggs relative to the size of the bird. The nest may contain 15 to 60 eggs, with an average egg being 15 cm (6 inches) long, 13 cm (5 inches) wide, and weigh 1.4 kg (3 pounds). They are shiny and whitish in color. The eggs are incubated by the females by day and by the male by night.

All pictures were taken by a Sony Cyber-shot. The third picture was an amazing artwork that we picked up at Outshoorn, a small town full of ostrich farms in South Africa.