Burundi Beans and Rice

In Making West Home In Idaho, recipe by Josephine Nizigiyimana

Ann: This recipe came from a collection of stories and recipes from Boise's refugee community. Except for a fresh onion, I was able to use all ingredients I had stocked in my food storage. I used olive oil rather than red palm and corn oils, and a can of stewed tomatoes rather than fresh, because I was looking for a recipe I could make with items I had on hand. I also didn't cook the rice in oil before boiling in water, and just sauteed the onion and tomatoes. Loved the result: simple and satisfying.

Serves 8-10

 3/4 c red palm oil
2 pounds dried pinto beans
1 c shallots or onions, thinly sliced
3 large tomatoes
1 1/2 t salt, plus more to taste
4 c Thai jasmine rice
1/2 corn oil

Put the beans in a large saucepan and cover with water (about 7 cups). Add 2-3 T of salt. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook, covered, on a medium low heat until the beans are soft, about three hours. You may need to continue to add water to prevent the beans from drying out.

Rinse and drain the rice 3-4 times. Use your hands to wash the rice thoroughly. Heat a large saucepan on a medium heat for a few minutes, then add the oil. Heat the oil until hot, but not smoking. Add 1 T of salt to the oil.  Add rice and fry, stirring constantly for five minutes. Add water to cover (about 8 cups) and stir. Cover and cook at a medium heat until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is done, about 30-40 minutes.

Peel the uncooked tomatoes and slice them into large wedges, removing all the seeds. Heat red palm oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until smoking hot.  Add shallots and cover the pan. Let them cook in the boiling oil for 1-2 minutes.  Add tomatoes and stir. Cover the pot and continue to cook on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes. Using a metal spoon, break up the tomatoes in the pan and continue to stir until the tomatoes are reduced to the thickness of tomato paste, about five minutes. Add the tomato mixture to the beans and stir until completely combined. Add more salt to taste. Serve the beans in a bowl over rice.