Black Beans and Rice

Rice and beans are a wonderful combination of two cheap and easy-to-find ingredients that can fill you up with their amazing flavor. This dish is not only yummy but also simple to prepare. You can use canned black beans or cook your own beans in an instant pot after soaking them overnight. There are endless ways to season your rice and beans, depending on what kind of cuisine you prefer. I'm from Vietnam, so I like to add some of the spices that I have in my pantry. Trust me that this recipe is not only tasty but also very healthy. Do you love rice and beans as much as I do? They are so easy to make and so delicious! Here's how I cook them in my instant pot and rice cooker. You can also use a regular pot if you don't have these appliances.

Ingredients:

1 cup Jasmin rice

1/2 cup dried black beans

Seasonings:

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup chopped white onion

1/2 cup chopped red, green, and yellow, bell peppers

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 /4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tsp salt

1 tsp mushroom seasoning

1/4 cup oil to cook

Directions:

Soak the beans overnight and drain them. Then, put them in the instant pot with enough water to cover them. Set the pressure cook function for 10 minutes. After that, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Drain the beans again and save the bean water for later.

Next, wash and drain the rice. 

In a sauté pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil and add all the seasoning ingredients. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and toss it with the seasoning and the rest of the oil.

Now, transfer all the rice to the rice cooker. Add the cooked beans and enough bean water to cover the rice. For jasmine rice, you'll need about 1 1/4 cups of water. Close the lid and follow the instructions of your rice cooker.

If you don't have a rice cooker, you can use a medium saucepan instead. Just follow the same steps as above but bring the rice and bean mixture to a boil and then simmer with a lid for 20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.

That's it! You have a hearty and tasty meal ready to enjoy! I hope you like this recipe as much as I do!