International Rice & Beans

Vegetarian Journal, March, 2001 by Sally Bernstein

Rice and bean dishes are justly celebrated throughout the world. Typically, pork or beef is used as a seasoning, as in the everything-but-the-snout use of pork in Brazilian feijoada, Hoppin' John, Jambalaya, and many kinds of chili. But meat is, of course, unnecessary for a savory dish. Far more important are vegan ingredients like onions, garlic, and pepper. I cook rice and beans for my meat-eating friends all the time, and they often tell me that they are surprised how little they missed the meat. I like to think that I have created some interest in vegetarianism through these tasty meals.

More importantly, rice and bean dishes are easy to prepare, exceptionally nutritious, and extremely forgiving; with a few exceptions, most beans can successfully stand in for other beans. Be guided by the overall texture of the bean and the recipe itself. Soft cannellini beans may make an interesting substitute for chickpeas in a hummus-like puree, but they are a poor choice for a recipe that calls for a bean with a firm texture, as in the pilaf on page 10. Other beans, like roman or pigeon peas, have relatively thick skins, which might make them inappropriate for dishes calling for more tender varieties. But no harm is done by substituting black beans for Great Northern beans, and often a mix of different colors or textures can make an appealing dish even more pleasing.

All the recipes included call for canned or frozen beans. I find the convenience of using prepared beans invaluable. But if you like to prepare beans from scratch, see the end of this article. If you start out with dried beans, you can better control the texture of the cooked beans and the amount of sodium they will contain. You will also be able to use a wider range of beans, since many varieties, such as adzuki, cranberry, or appaloosa are seldom available prepackaged.

Experiment! Unless you're a real purist, you'll enjoy combining Indian Basmati rice with Mexican chipotle beans, or Turkish lemon beans with Japanese sticky rice, or substituting Thai rice noodles for injera as an accompaniment for Ethiopian berbere lentils. Few dishes lend themselves as easily to fusion cuisine as rice and beans.

Most of the recipes below are very easily doubled or tripled, and most reheat well.

CHIPOTLE BEANS AND RICE

(Serves 6)

This spicy, smoky dish should appeal to chili lovers. It's a real crowd pleaser at parties.

4 or more chipotle peppers (see note)
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 red bell peppers, diced
One 28-ounce can of whole, peeled tomatoes
  packed in puree, drained, liquid reserved
Two 15-ounce cans of beans, rinsed thoroughly
  and drained (I recommend black
  beans, black-eyed peas, small red beans,
  or pinto beans)
6 cups cooked rice (see page 11)
Cilantro leaves (optional)

Reconstitute the dried chipotles by soaking them in warm water until they are smooth and pliable, about an hour. (This step can be done hours in advance.) Remove the peppers from the water, cut them in half, discard the seeds, and chop finely. Set aside.

Cover the bottom of a large saucepan or pot with water. Over a high flame, saute the onions and garlic until the onions become soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the soy sauce and bell peppers, add-ing water as necessary to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Chop the tomatoes coarsely and add, along with reserved puree, to the pot. Add chipotles to the pot. Reduce flame to low and add beans, stirring occasionally.

Cook over a low flame for an additional 15-20 minutes, until beans are heated through.

On a platter, arrange rice into a ring shape and spoon beans into the center, or serve individual portions, with the beans spooned over 1 cup of rice. Garnish with cilantro.

Total calories per serving: 407 Carbohydrates: 82 grams Sodium: 612 milligrams Good source of iron Fat: 3 grams Protein: 15 grams Fiber: 13 grams

Note: Chipotles are smoked, dried jalapeno peppers. They can be purchased in Mexican and gourmet stores, or from Penzeys, a mail order spice house; <www.penzeys. com> or (800) 741-7787. If chipotles are not available, fresh jalapeno peppers can be substituted, although the dish will lack the chipotles' distinctive smoky flavor.

COCONUT BEANS & RICE

(Serves 6)

Coconut-braised beans are popular throughout South and Central America and Africa. For a more intense coconut flavor, replace 2 or 3 Tablespoons of the rice's cooking water with coconut milk.

1 medium sweet potato, peeled
1 medium white potato, peeled
Olive oil spray
2 medium onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large tomato, peeled and chopped
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 Tablespoon coriander
1 Tablespoon turmeric
1 chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped
  (or more to taste)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves (reserve a
  few leaves for garnish)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup dried coconut
Two 15-ounce cans beans, well rinsed and
  drained (black-eyed peas are an especially
  good choice)
Salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce to taste
6 cups cooked rice