Black Beans and Coconut Rice

By courtneyepowell

Ingredients

• Beans:
• Coconut Rice
• 1 1/2 cups brown or white basmati rice
• 1 cup coconut milk 2 pinch of saffron threads (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric sea salt and pepper
• 4 slender scallions, including the greens, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup sesame seeds (black and white are nice)
• 2 teaspoons light peanut oil
• 1 green pepper, finely diced
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro, plus leaves for garnish
• 1 garlic clove, minced 1 scant teaspoon toasted and ground cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon or more to taste, chipotle chile, either powdered or in adobo
• 2 15-°©‐ounce cans organic black beans plus their juice, about
• 3 cups cooked
• 1 scant cup coconut milk (or all the coconut milk remaining from the rice)
• 2 limes, 1 juiced, 1 cut into 4 wedges

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Make the Rice first.
1. Rinse the rice. Bring 2 cups water and the coconut milk to a boil with the saffron and turmeric. Add the rice and 3/4 teaspoon salt, cover the pan, and cook over low heat until the rice is done, in about 20 minutes.

2. While the rice is cooking, heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the pepper, onion, and cilantro, and cook, stirring frequently, for about five minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, chipotle, then the beans and coconut milk.

3. Bring to coconut milk mixture to a boil and simmer until hot. Season with salt and add fresh lime juice to taste.

4. When rice is done, using a fork, gently toss in the scallions, season with pepper. Scatter the sesame seeds over the rice the toss again. Use the rice hot from the pan, pressing it into a cup first, then unmolding it or simply scooping the rice onto the plate.

5. To serve, scoop the hot rice into a wet cup or ramekin and turn it out onto a plate or pasta plate. Scoot the beans around the rice and garnish with the cilantro leaves, pickled onions, if using, and lime wedges.