Red Dragon Pie
Submitted by nbrown
Red dragon pie is a vegetarian British-style shepherd’s pie with adzuki beans and brown rice braised in tomato and herbs, blanketed with mashed potatoes and baked until the top browns. Hearty, meatless, freezer-friendly comfort food.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
80 minCOOK
80 minREADY
160 minRed dragon pie is a classic of 1970s British vegetarian cookery, the plant-based answer to a shepherd’s pie. Adzuki beans give the filling its rusty red color and a slightly sweet, nutty flavor that holds up against the tomato and herb base.
Cooking the beans and brown rice together in one pot does two useful things. The rice absorbs the bean cooking liquid so flavors marry from the start, and the leftover starchy stock becomes the sauce base when the filling simmers down in the skillet.
Italian herbs (basil, oregano, marjoram) along with tomato paste and soy sauce build a savory depth that reads almost like a ragu. Soy sauce is the secret umami booster here, it stands in for the beef stock a meat pie would use.
The mashed potato top browns best when fluffed with a fork to create peaks and ridges. Flat mashed potato stays pale, textured mashed potato crisps beautifully.
Kitchen Tips
- Soak adzuki beans overnight if not using quick-soak, they cook much faster and more evenly.
- Don’t drain all the cooking liquid, keeping some as the bean stock adds flavor depth.
- Rough up the mashed potato top with a fork for maximum golden crust under the broiler.
- Make ahead and refrigerate before baking. It actually tastes better after flavors settle.
Variations
- Swap adzuki for kidney beans or lentils for a different legume profile.
- Top with mashed sweet potato or a mix of white and sweet for an autumnal version.
- Stir in a tablespoon of Marmite or yeast extract to the filling for serious umami depth.
Ingredients
Directions
Wash the beans and rice in plenty of cold water.
Combine about 4 cups of water with beans and rice and cook for 50 minutes or until the beans are soft.
Drain, reserving the stock for later.
Heat oil in a skillet.
Fry the onions for 3 minutes.
Add the carrots and cookk covered for 5 minutes.
Add the cooked beans and rice.
Stir well and let sauté for a few minutes, ensuring that the mixture does not burn.
Combine the siy sauce, tomato paste, herbs and stock.
Mix well and pour into the skillet.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to very low, partially cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring frquently to prevent it burning.
Add more stock if necessary.
Transfer into a casserole.
Top the cooked vegetables with mashed Potatoes.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350℉ (180℃) F for 40 minutes, or until the Potatoes are browned.
Serve with vegetables or a green salad.
Comments
