Kimchi and Black Bean Tostadas

When I first started travelling in order to expand my knowledge of food, I went to America and was particularly impressed by the South American influences. Tamales, tostadas and quesadillas were new words to me and I was excited to explore what was possible; I was blown away by their high energy and lively flavours. This energy is totally in line with the Mind Food ethos. Here, I wanted to do a take on tostadas with brainboosting black beans, a tangy dressing laced with pomegranate and CBD, all with a crunchy kimchi base.

Kimchi and Black Bean Tostadas [Vegan]

Ingredients

For the Tostadas:

• 100g (3 1/2 oz) chickpea flour
• 100ml (scant 1/2 cup) Clever Kimchi (see page 161), or store-bought kimchi, finely chopped and drained
• 150g (5 1/2 oz) buckwheat flour
• 100ml (scant 1/2 cup) olive oil

For the CBD Slaw:

• 2 cups grated roots, such as parsnips or carrots
• 1 batch Pomegranate and CBD Dressing (see page 177)

For the Black Beans:

• 1 × 400g (14oz) tin of black beans
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 avocado, halved, stoned and flesh cubed
• 20g (3/4 oz) coriander, chopped

For the Buttered Corn:

• 1 tablespoon plant-based butter
• 50g (1/2 cup) sweetcorn kernels, fresh or frozen
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes

To Serve:

• Sprouts or leaves, to garnish

Preparation

For the Tostadas:

1. In a glass bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour with 50ml (scant 1/4 cup) of water until smooth and leave to ferment overnight.
2. This step is not essential but makes the batter more exciting.

For the CBD Slaw:

1. Pour the dressing over the grated roots and set aside to marinate while you prepare the rest of the dish.

For the Black Beans:

1. Drain the black beans, then place them in a bowl with the lime juice, zest and salt and stir. Then add the avocado and coriander and lightly crush everything with a fork.

For the Tostadas:

1. When the chickpea batter is fermented, fold in the kimchi, without the brine, and add the buckwheat flour. The buckwheat flour will bind the dough together into a firmer dough that is easy to roll out and work with. If the dough is sticky add more buckwheat flour until you have something the consistency of pastry dough.
2. Flour a clean work surface and roll the dough out to 2mm (1/8in) thick and then use a pastry cutter to create 7–10cm (3–4in) rounds. Repeat until you have the number of tostadas you need. The remaining dough can be kept in a sealed container in the fridge.
3. Heat a large frying pan with half of the olive oil and add the rolled tostadas, making sure to spread it into little round pancake shapes. Fry for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden, then repeat with the batter and oil until the batter is used up.

For the Buttered Corn:

1. Heat a small frying pan and melt the butter. Add the corn and fry with the salt and chilli until golden – about 3–4 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat and prepare to serve.
3. Once cooked, place the crispy tostadas onto your plate and top with black beans, buttered corn and CBD slaw, then finish with a squeeze of lime and some sprouts or leaves to garnish.

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/recipe/kimchi-and-black-bean-tostadas-vegan/