What to use instead of red kidney beans
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Starchy body that thickens the pot as it simmers
Kidney beans shed starch into the liquid and a few break down completely, which is what turns rajma or chili from soup into gravy.
Pinto beansRan out
1:1 by weight, dried or cooked
Break down faster and thicken harder, so the pot goes creamy sooner. Colour turns muddy pink rather than deep red.
Cranberry or borlotti beansRan out
1:1 by weight
Closest match for size and skin thickness. The mottling boils away and the flesh eats a touch sweeter and softer.
Black beansRan out
1:1 by weight
Hold their shape more and dye the liquid grey-purple. Less starch comes out, so the gravy stays thin unless you mash some.
ChickpeasRan out
1:1 by weight
Stay firm and nutty and thicken almost nothing. Mash a cup of them against the side of the pot to get the body back.
What doesn't work: Green or French lentils. They are done in 25 minutes where the beans need 90, so by the time the masala has cooked down they have collapsed and there is nothing left to bite.
Whole beans that keep their shape in rice or salad
The thick skin holds the bean intact through a long simmer or a night in dressing, so you get distinct pieces rather than paste.
Canned kidney beans, drained and rinsedRan out
1 can (15 oz) per 3/4 cup dried
Already soft, so add them in the last 10 minutes. Skins split more easily and the pot tastes tinny if you skip the rinse.
Pigeon peas, also sold as gungo peasRan out
1:1 cooked volume
Smaller and earthier and they stay separate in rice. This is the older Jamaican version of rice and peas anyway.
Black beansRan out
1:1 cooked volume
Firmer skin, so they hold up longer in dressing. They stain rice and coconut milk grey within minutes.
What doesn't work: Refried or baked beans out of a tin. Both come pre-mashed and pre-sauced, so they dissolve into the rice and drag ketchup or lard flavour in with them.
Dried kidney beans need a hard 10-minute boil before any long slow cook. A slow cooker on low never gets hot enough to break down the lectin that makes them toxic raw.