How to Cook Coconut Rice With Black Beans

Serves: 8

Preparation time: overnight

Cooking time: 2 hours

Ingredients needed to make Coconut Rice With Black Beans:

For the beans:

• 4 cups dried black beans, soaked overnight
• ¼ cup poblano pepper
• ½ cup yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
• ½ cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
• ¼ cup celery, finely chopped
• ½ cup red onion, finely chopped
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• ½ cup carrots, finely chopped
• ¼ cup smoked bacon, diced
• 2 ½ quarts low-sodium chicken broth
• ½ tbsp coriander seed, toasted and pounded into fine powder
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tbsp cumin seed, toasted and pounded into fine powder
• 3 tbsp canola oil

For the rice:

• 4 cups long-grained  white rice
• 4 cups coconut milk, unsweetened
• 1 cup red onion,  finely chopped
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 4 cups water
• Dash of freshly ground white pepper

Cooking instructions for

Coconut Rice With Black Beans:

• To cook the beans, heat the canola oil in a heavy-based skillet over moderate heat and throw in the diced bacons.
• Stir fry them until most of the fat in the bacon melts and throw in the veggies.
• Stir them all together to mix well and continue to sauté for several minutes, stirring at times, until they soften and browns slightly.
• Drain the beans out into the skillet and sprinkle the ground spices on top.
• Drop the bay leaf into the skillet and give them a nice stir until well combined.
• Continue to cook the mixture until it starts boiling and reduce it to a simmer.
• Simmer the mixture at slightly reduced heat and pour in the chicken stock until the beans remain completely immersed in it.
• Simmer likewise, at slightly reduced heat, for about 1 ¼ hours or until the beans are cooked through.
• Drain the beans plus veggies out into a bowl and pour the strained cooking liquid back to the skillet.
• Cook it over moderate heat until it thickens to reduce to half its actual volume and return the beans-veggie mixture back into it.
• Adjust the seasonings and keep warm.
• To make the coconut rice, spoon the oil into a larger saucepan and heat it over moderate flame.
• Throw in the onions and sauté for about 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until it turns lucid and appears soft on touch.
• Add a splash of coconut milk and pour in the water.
• Heat the mixture until it starts boiling and empty the cups of rice into it.
• Add a dash of seasonings and give it a nice stir until well mixed.
• Bring the rice-coconut milk mixture to a boil and then bring it back to a simmer over slightly lower heat.
• Place a tight-fitting lid on top and cook for about 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked through and the cooking liquid is completely absorbed by it.
• Turn off the heat and set aside for 5 minutes, with them lid still on.
• Uncover and stir the rice using fork.
• Arrange a bed of coconut rice in each serving bowl and spoon the cooked black beans as well as veggies on top.
• Serve hot.

 Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Last Updated on March 4, 2013 by