Red Beans and Rice

In my article ‘Cafe Du Monde and New Orleans’ I have written about New Orleans and its classic dishes like Gumbo, Crawfish Etouffee, Jambalaya, Red Beans and Rice, Muffulettas, Po- Boys and Beignets. While in that article I have mainly focused on a special coffee place - Café Du Monde, this article will focus on a New Orleans specialty – Red Beans and Rice. At first this dish reminded me of Rajma Rice because it uses a few common ingredients like Bay Leaves, Onion and Garlic, but the main difference in taste is created by the addition of Cajun Seasoning and Sausages. Now for those who don’t know Rajma, it is a vegetarian North Indian Red Beans gravy prepared with a paste of Onion, Garlic, Ginger, Tomato and spices. It is also served with Steamed Rice. It’s fascinating how two different cuisines can make two entirely different dishes using the same main ingredient – Red Beans.

Now before we learn more about the New Orleans Red Beans, lets talk about the two famous cuisines of New Orleans – Creole and Cajun. Creole is the complex and aristocratic cuisine also called the City food (example: Oysters Rockefeller, Southern Oxtail Soup and Lobster Creole), Cajun on the other hand, is the rustic country food and Cajun Seasoning is the quintessential spice of this cuisine. This is a spice mix of Paprika, Red, Black and White Peppers, Oregano, Salt, Onion, Thyme and Garlic. It is used in a variety of dishes including the famous New Orleans Jambalaya and Gumbo. You can also use this spice mix while grilling Salmon, Shrimp or Burger Patties. This can also be added to a bowl of Popcorns or Fries to create a playful flavor. 

Red Beans is a perfect meal option both for lunch and dinner and that is why in New Orleans, it is served in all the restaurants at all times. Do you know that traditionally Monday was known as the Red Beans day in New Orleans? After preparing a nice weekend meal, the ladies used to do laundry and other household work on Mondays. The left over meat and rice was used to prepare this Red Beans gravy. The dried Beans which take a lot of time to cook and need very little attention became an impeccable dinner option for Mondays.

You will be surprised to know that the first time I had this dish was not during our New Orleans trip but during a visit to our friend’s home. Debarshi and I got a weekend stay over invitation from our friends – Victoria and John at their log cabin house. For lunch, Victoria prepared this amazing gravy for us. Obviously at that time I had no idea that this is a famous recipe of New Orleans. We loved it so much that I took the recipe from her and have been preparing it ever since. 

Now I have prepared this dish several times and have improvised the recipe. I love adding Fennel Powder as it adds a fresh flavor in it and the Andouille sausage tastes great but hey! You can also prepare it in the traditional way by using leftover meats. So prepare this gravy today and immerse your taste buds in the Cajun flavors.

Ingredients:

• Olive Oil - 2 Tablespoons 
• Red Pepper Pods - 2, broken in small pieces 
• Bay Leaves – 2, broken in small pieces 
• Sausage – 2 (preferably Chicken Andouille), cut into small pieces
• Parsley – if using dry 1 Teaspoon, if using fresh a handful chopped
• Cajun’s Choice Blackened Seasoning – 1 Tablespoon 
• Red Chili Powder – ¼ Teaspoon
• Garlic - 2 large cloves, lightly crushed with the side of a knife blade and minced
• Onion – Red, 1 Large, Diced
• Green Bell Pepper - ½, stem and seeds removed and diced
• Red Beans - 1 Can, read the instructions to see if they need to be washed. 
• Ground Black Pepper – ¼ Teaspoon 
• Fennel Powder – 2 Teaspoons
• Chicken Stock - 2 Cups 
• White Rice - 1 Cup
• Water – 2 Cups

Directions for preparing the Red Beans:

• Heat a wok over medium-high heat.
• Add Olive Oil in it.
• Add the Garlic, Onion, Red Pepper Pods and Bay Leaves.
• Sauté it well till the Onion turns golden red then add the Red Beans and Sausages and sauté for another few minutes.
• When the Sausages look fried with a few reddish tinges add the Black Pepper, Red Chili Powder, Parsley, Cajun’s Choice Blackened Seasoning, Fennel Powder and the Bell Peppers and sauté.
• Add the Chicken Stock and mix well.
• Cover and reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer slowly for about 20 minutes while we cook the rice.
• After 20 minutes check the Salt and turn off the heat. Remove the Bay Leaves.

Directions for preparing the Rice on Stove-Top:

• While the Beans are simmering let’s prepare the rice.
• Wash and drain the Rice.
• In a saucepan, bring the water and Rice to a boil. 
• Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. 

Directions for preparing the Rice in Microwave:

• Take a microwave safe bowl.
• Wash and drain the Rice.
• Combine the Water and Rice in the bowl and microwave uncovered on high power until the Rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed about 15-18 minutes.
• Serve the hot Red Beans over a bed of Rice.

Tips:

• I prefer to use the canned Red Beans because the dried ones need to be sorted, rinsed and soaked overnight to be ready to cook. 
• Its always better to plan ahead if you are planning to use the dried Beans.
• The dried Beans take more than 2 hours to cook. If you are running out of time and have a Pressure Cooker (hidden somewhere in your pantry), then this is a good time to use it. Add a pinch of Baking Soda with the Chicken stock and Red Beans and give it 2 whistles. When it cools down add the Beans to the Wok along with the Sausages. Reserve the Stock.
• If you are not using a pressure cooker, add ¼ cup of stock after every 15- 20 minutes and mash the Beans occasionally to check if they have been cooked. They should be tender and creamy when fully cooked.
• You can use water instead of Chicken Stock.
• You can use Red Kidney Beans instead of Red Beans.
• You can cook Rice in Microwave or on Stove- Top.
• The recommended spice in this recipe is the Cajun’s Choice Blackened Seasoning which contains Paprika, Red, Black and White Peppers, Oregano, Salt, Thyme, Onion and Garlic. If you can’t find the readymade spice in the market then just combine 1 teaspoon of Salt and Garlic powder with 1 ¼ teaspoons of Paprika, ½ teaspoon each of Red, White and Black Peppers, dried Oregano, dried Thyme and Onion powder. This should bring the same flavor. 

Recommended Reading:

• Le Bayou Restaurant & Oyster Bar, New Orleans
• Cafe Du Monde and New Orleans
• Creole Jambalaya - a quintessential New Orleans classic dish
• Slow Cooked Turkey and Bacon Chili