'Make the beans your bitch' - how to join the leguminati, plus five great recipes

Pulses and legumes (basically beans and peas) are much tastier than people realise, and not difficult to cook. Plus they have major environmental benefits'It's like a secret': why do the leguminati want to change the way we eat?Beans can seem a little intimidating. That plastic bag of funny-looking pebbles at the back of the cupboard, bought in a fit of good intentions, seems to defy food logic. But really it's quite simple. Here's how you can initiate yourself into the leguminati. "We don't soak our beans, because they're so fresh they don't need it," says Steve Sando, the founder of the California-based bean company, Rancho Gordo.Sando has been working for years to promote enthusiasm and love for pulses which can - he believes - save the world (or at least make us all healthier and reduce the amount of carbon emissions our food systems produce. For many he is the godfather of the jokily nicknamed leguminati.)Nigella's Cuban beans is a perennial favourite that one of our writers made pretty much every week while she was at university.While we're talking about Nigella (Lawson of course), her courgette and chickpea filo pie is also a lovely classic.Dishoom's house black dal is one of the greatest, most comforting dinners of all time. The secret turns out to be lots of butter and lots of cream. Make vast amounts so you'll have it for the rest of the week.Harissa baked beans with chorizo, eggs and feta (just as good without chorizo if you prefer) is a great standby.And for a sweet treat, try these surprising black bean fudge brownies - absolutely delicious. Continue reading...