Red kidney beans and rice, with sweetcorn

 

I used to cook West Indian rice and beans fairly often, when I was voyaging - it's cheap and filling, but it can be pretty uninspiring even with generous amounts of coconut cream, thyme and chilli.  This version is a little more interesting and can be made very quickly, with the judicious use of cans and if you pressure-cook the rice. 

 

Serves 2

 

Ingredients

 

1/2 cup red kidney beans

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 garlic clove

1/2 cup rice

1 cup water

1 small can sweetcorn

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp dried chillies

1 tbsp cream of coconut

400 g/14 oz can diced tomatoes or 3 medium ones, chopped

salt and pepper

 

Method:

• Cook the kidney beans in the usual way.
• In a large saucepan, fry the chopped onion and garlic in the oil. Add the rice and fry for a few more minutes, until the grains become opaque. Add the water, bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 30 minutes.
• Gently mix in the drained beans, sweetcorn, tomatoes, thyme, chilli and coconut, being careful not to mash the beans. Keep hot over a very low heat until the rice is cooked
• Heat everything through and season carefully.

Serve with a green vegetable.

 

Note:

• This is the basic dish. Green pepper is a pleasant addition
• Mustard greens go very well with this, if you can find them; or chard or cabbage.  
• Cream of coconut - like a hard slab of butter - isn't always easy to obtain.  Use coconut milk or cream instead.

You will find many more rice recipes here