I love how the sweet-sour zestiness of lime juice perks up a bowl of plain rice. If I’m ever reaching around the kitchen trying to think of a way to make rice more interesting, and there’s a lime rolling around, there’s a good chance I’ll squeeze it in. Similarly, if I have a bunch, I like to throw in a handful of roughly chopped fragrant coriander to lift basmati or long-grain rice.
But this isn’t just a convenient receptacle for leftover herbs and citrus. Rather, it’s one of my favourite things to have alongside meals that involve a bit of fat and spice. The black beans provide an extra savoury punctuation, and the aforementioned lime and coriander are more than the sum of their parts when used together, but it’s still all very simple. This is a side that would work equally well with food that’s inspired by the cuisines of Mexico, the Caribbean, the Indian subcontinent, Korea and the United States’ Deep South (or a mixture of them all). Think grilled oily fish, curries, sticky American BBQ ribs and slow-cooked meats, spicy stews and more. If soaking and cooking your own black beans doesn’t fit with your timetable, you could use pre-cooked ones, or just cook the beans in advance, rinse them under cold water to cool and reserve until needed.
Ingredients
- 70 g dried black beans, soaked overnight (or 160 g pre-cooked)
- 200 g basmati or long-grain rice
- 8–10 stems coriander leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 finely grated lime juice and zest
- Sea salt
- Drain the soaked black beans and put them in a medium saucepan. Cover them with 3 times their volume of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 60–70 minutes, or until the beans are tender but still have a little bite. Top up the water as it evaporates during the cooking process. Drain and pour boiling water over the beans to rinse off any scum and starch.
- About 20 minutes before eating, put the rice in a sieve and rinse until the water runs clear, then tip it into a medium-large pan and three-quarters fill it with cold water. Bring to the boil and cook for 3 minutes less than the packet tells you to. Drain, rinse with boiling water and return to the pan. Add the black beans, stir quickly and put a lid on and leave for 5 minutes, so that the rice continues to steam to perfection.
- When ready to eat, stir the coriander, lime zest, lime juice and a pinch of salt into the rice and beans. Mix well with a fork and serve.
