Bajan Beans

Kumquat the Cat's friend's Note:

A wonderful and healthful combination of beans, rice and vegetables. It's also very pretty, vegetarian, Caribbean and low-fat. It has a meaty texture and MILD curry flavor. My boyfriend, who is not fond of curry dishes, loved this. If you don't want any peppers left over, you could just add a whole red or orange pepper for color. Flageolet beans are a bit on the expensive side, so buy cannellini if you'd like to save money. Adding tofu, a meat substitute or cooked meat would make this a more substantial one-dish meal.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 5 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion , chopped
• 1 green chili peppers or 1 jalapeno , deseeded and chopped
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 4 ounces brown rice
• 7 ounces tomatoes , canned chopped
• 2 zucchini , chopped
• ½ red bell pepper , chopped
• ½ green bell pepper , chopped
• 14 ounces cannellini beans or 14 ounces flageolet beans , canned, drained and rinsed
• 5 ounces sweet corn , canned (or equivalent frozen)
• 2 tablespoons cilantro , freshly chopped

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and add onion, chili and curry powder and saute until soft.
2. Add rice, tomatoes and stock, mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the zucchini and bell peppers to the pan but don't stir them in yet. Cover and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times.
4. Add the rinsed beans and corn. Mix well and cook gently for about 5-10 minutes.
5. Stir in the cilantro and serve immediately.

Reviews

[smellyvegetarian]

Yum! This was really enjoyable and quite easy to make! I agree with others that this makes a good amount, but in my family that is always a good thing. I made this with great northern beans, and I subbed in some veggies I needed to use up (okra and green beans) in lieu of some of the corn and peppers. I love that this is so flavorful as is but mild enough for the kiddos; for me a shake of crushed red pepper at the table made it spot on. Thanks so much for posting! Made for Healthy Choices ABC Tag.

[Pikake21]

Easy to prepare, but you definitely need a pan that can be covered! otherwise, the rice doesn't turn out as nicely. Next time, we'll probably add a little bit of tofu to the mix--and maybe some more heat!

[Mgnbos]

Easy, comforting and makes a Iot (serves 6? 8?). The flavor is mild and would be appropriate for a wide variety of dinner guests (I added hot sauce to my portion). This is satisfying as written and I suspect would be great with chicken or pork too. I used cannelli beans and orange bell pepper in place of the red and green.