I make this in one pot - it takes about 45 minutes, not including any prep required for the beans. I start by making a spiced temper, adding precooked or canned red beans, and then cooking the rice in the coconut-milk enhanced mixture.
Ingredients #
- Red beans - 3 cups, precooked or canned
- Rice - 1 1/2 cups dry
- Coconut milk - 1 1/2 cups
- Onion - 1 1/2 cups, diced
- Sweet or hot pepper - 1/2 cup, diced
- Tomato - 3/4 cup, diced
- Garlic and ginger - at least one to two tablespoons in total
- Seasonings (Paprika, cayenne, or other powdered hot pepper; garam masala or
- other seasoning mix) - at least one tablespoon in total
- Garnishes - green onions, cilantro, thinly sliced white or yellow onion, Frank's hot sauce
Directions #
- Prepare the red beans. They should not be mushy or crunchy. Canned beans are fine. If using dry beans, hydrate them in an Instant Pot and don't worry much about seasoning them. Reserve the liquid in case you need it later.
- Make the temper. Heat a 12" skillet to medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of oil (such as canola oil). Add whole spices (such as cinnamon or cloves). Once they become aromatic, add the onion and peppers. Cook until they become soft. Add powdered hot pepper, whole cumin, garlic, and ginger, and cook for a minute or so. Add diced tomato and cook until the liquid is mostly evaporated. The temper should be heavily spiced.
- Add the beans. Mix the beans with the temper in the skillet. There will be some liquid in the pan, but you're looking to create a non-soupy mixture. The drier, the better at this stage.
- Add the rice. Add the rice to mixture, mixing well. It's OK if the rice toasts a bit.
- Add the coconut milk. Generally, you need about the same volume of liquid as rice at this stage. If you think you need more, add some of the reserved liquid from the beans or water. Mix this well, taste it, and adjust seasoning if needed (now is a great time to add some salt). The burner should still be at medium-high heat. You can cover it now, but the idea is to reduce the heat to medium-low once everything is bubbling.
- Cover and cook for 25 minutes. It's okay to peek and stir. If things are looking a bit dry and crispy, add liquid in small increments.
- Final seasoning. As everything finishes, add additional salt as needed. Serve with garnishes like chopped green onions, cilantro, and thinly sliced onions. And Frank's hot sauce.
References #
- Tempering
- How to Cook Everything Red Beans and Rice