Go hot and spicy with these bean cakes. If time is short, use 1 cup each of canned, drained borlotti and kidney beans. If you like chilli, try sambal oelek, and lots of it!

Ingredients

• ½ cup each dried borlotti and kidney beans
• 1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 teaspoon minced chilli or try sambal oelek
• 1-2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh lemongrass
• 3-4 young kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
• 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
• 1 egg

Mango and basil salad

• 3 mangoes (or 400 gram can mangoes, drained)
• 1 cup basil leaves, roughly torn
• 2-3 cups mesclun salad leaves
• 1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
• 2-3 long red chillies, deseeded and finely sliced

Dressing

• grated rind and juice 4 limes
• 2 tablespoons grated palm sugar (or use brown sugar)
• 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds, 4 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1 cup virgin or extra-virgin olive oil

Method

1. Soak the beans overnight in water. Drain and cook in fresh water, boiling for ¾-1 hour until tender. Drain well and mash.
2. Cook the onion in a dash of oil (try sesame) for 1-2 minutes until softened. Add the chilli, ginger, garlic and lemongrass and cook for a further minute until fragrant.
3. Mix the onion mixture with the mashed beans, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce and egg. Season well with salt and pepper.
4. Mould large tablespoonfuls of mixture into small cakes. Dust with flour and pan-fry in oil until golden, turning once.

Salad

1. Cut the mangoes down either side of the stone, peel and then slice into thin strips. Toss with the basil, mesclun salad leaves, red onion and chilli.

Dressing

1. Mix together all ingredients and season with salt.

Cooks Tips

- In winter subsitute a mixture of parsley and mint leaves for the basil.