Easy Haitian Rice and Beans (Diri Ak Pwa)

This Haitian–style rice and beans dish is not only a staple in Haitian cuisine but is particularly tasty. The cloves and the hot pepper give it a unique flavor profile.

It's quick to prepare and needs two essential ingredients: rice and beans. And it can be considered a main course as it's so satisfying!

Why this Recipe Rocks

Now that Soup Joumou has been awarded protected cultural heritage status by UNESCO, let's go all the way with other typical Haitian dishes, such as Haitian rice and beans. It makes it a good accompaniment, moreover. It's also worth mentioning that on January 12, 2010 a big earth quake shook the islanders and took the lives of over 230 000 inhabitants. So I wanted to pay tribute to the people of this country.

While researching this recipe, I noticed that many countries had their own version: Dominican, Jamaican, Puerto Rican, Costa Rican, Mexican rice and beans… This is undoubtedly linked to the traditions of West Africa, alas, displaced by the slave trade.

Anyway, I tasted it from different regions of the Caribbean, especially, and I much prefer the Haitian style, diri kole in creole. Just accuse me of being biased; I grew up eating Haitian food.

Haitian rice and beans is a dish that's high in protein, healthy, and filling. It has an enveloping warmth, a heady scent of spices—exhaled by the typical Haitian seasoning and piment bouc (chili goat pepper)—and the occasional subtle coconut flavor.

Piment bouc gives the personality of our cuisine. The habanero pepper fulfills the same function as the former is not always accessible in mainstream markets. Regardless, this variety of chili is potent and daring enough to spellbound all souls. As proof, while cooking, its flavor spread 10 meters away from my kitchen and tickled the nostrils of my little one so much that it distracted him from playing his video game. 

And more, it bewitched him to take several plates (even if it was burning hot; the pepper had burst in the pot). 

What Goes in It?

Notes on some ingredients

• Red beans – I buy them in bulk, but many Haitians choose the Goya brand. 
• Kombu – it doesn't usually appear in Haitian recipes, but I added some here to neutralize the gas-forming compounds. It's really optional. 
• Long-grain rice – my favorite rice is jasmine rice because it gives off a good taste.
• Basic Haitian seasoning – onion, shallot, garlic, green pepper, or Haitian green seasoning Epis.
• Cloves – they can be whole or ground.
• Caribbean pepper – Haitians typically incorporate piment bouc (chili goat pepper). It's very fragrant, with a characteristic fruity flavor, and you might find it in West Indian or ethnic grocery stores. Also called Caribbean pepper or Cabri pepper (on Reunion Island), it's a variety of habanero pepper. That's what I used here. It's related to the Jamaican Scotch Bonnet pepper, which also works.
• Herbs – I used typical thyme and parsley sprigs, but some recipes include bay leaves or just a bouquet garni.

How to Make Haitian Rice and Beans Step by Step

This traditional Haitian dish is typically prepared by soaking the beans the day before, and the rice begins to cook the next day. It's also possible to make it in an instant pot by boiling them for about twenty minutes. I like to do it the traditional way because by soaking the beans, we swell them in water and make them more edible and digestible. Also, we would get rid of "antinutrients." Maybe the machine pulverizes them; who knows.

In short, this dish begins with the pre-soaking of the red beans ①. I boil them later and optionally, with pieces of kombu and seasonings ② to inject flavor into them. Once the beans are cooked, tender but not mushy, I filter them, reserving the water ③. I continue by sautéing the seasonings ④.

Then I combine and stir the red beans ⑤. I add the bean water, the spices, including the hot pepper, then the rice ⑥. When the water reaches the level of the rice, I finish with the sprigs of fresh leaves ⑦, cover the pan and reduce the cooking to low heat. I fluff them a little with a fork and that's it!

The Keys to Success: My Top Tips

Beans are better when tender 

Add a good pinch of baking soda and salt, which will allow you to obtain a more alkaline pH (above 7). You can leave them in the fridge or at room temperature on your counter overnight. Two things happen here: Sodium ions are added to weaken the pectin and break it down into smaller molecules, which tenderizes the beans faster when cooked.

If you forget to do this step, add some (about a teaspoon per cup of dried beans) to the cooking water. This way, beans cook almost half the time than beans that cook without.

Stirring heavily makes ingredient mushy

When it comes to beans, don't stir them too much when you add them to the pot, or the starches may get released and make the rice sticky. In principle, if you opted for dry beans at the start, you reduce this issue.

As for the rice, rinse it until the water is clear, about three washes, to remove excess starch. Another option is to coat the rice with the cooking oil, toast it lightly, and stir it in the pot. Finally, once the rice is in the water, stir it once or not at all. 

A final solution is to cover your pot and mold it with foil under the rim facing down to trap steam and prevent condensation. This helps to give a drier and grainier rice texture. 

Know how to administer the Caribbean pepper

You can decide the intensity of the capsaicin diffused in your rice and beans. If you want it very low, keep it whole while cooking. If you want it high, make slight incisions (about four in the shape of a cross at the tip) before dipping it into the preparation. But be careful that the seeds do not escape. 

Warning! A Caribbean pepper that bursts in the diri kole, or even all your cooking meals, risks having you called the fire brigade! 

The essential equipment

• Dutch-oven – mine is around 4 quarts.
• Sieve
• Measuring cup
• Chef's knife or paring knife – my chef's knife is a Japanese knife with dimples from the Mac brand. My paring knife is of the same brand. I've had them for almost 10 years now (since my beginnings in raw food cooking).
• Cutting board
• Wooden spoon

How to Serve this Dish 

You may be wondering what goes well with rice and beans? Traditionally, this dish is served with vegetable stews, meat stews, seafood, and poultry. However, if the concept of complete proteins appeals to you, know that the combination of rice and beans achieves this objective. (BTW, this concept has been demolished.) This means that it can be eaten as a main course. 

But it can be accompanied by soup, boiled or fried plantains, or a salad. 

Answers to Your Burning Questions 

How to Store this Dish

Rice and beans will last for 5-6 days in the fridge. You can also freeze it in a sealed container for up to 6 months. Try freezing them in individual servings and pulling them out when you need a meal on the fly.

Make this Dish Now

Haitian rice and beans is a meal that speaks for itself. Caribbean islanders love to eat rice and beans because the ingredients are nutritious and inexpensive to grow and produce. There are many different combinations of rice and beans that could be used for this dish. The three most popular types of beans are black beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans.

And there isn't just one way to make this dish. The most important thing to know is that the more you stir the rice and beans, the more starches are released, and the stickier the rice will be. Other than that, no matter how you modify the recipe, your chances of screwing up are virtually non–existent. 

So, follow the steps above and let yourself be transported by the tropical aromas.

More Bean Recipes

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5 from 12 votes

Haitian Rice and Beans 

Haitian rice and beans is particularly different and unique in style and flavor due to the spices and other ingredients, like the whole piment bouc (chili goat pepper), often seen in Haitian cuisine. This is what gives this dish its spicy taste. But for the sake of accessibility, Habanero pepper or Scotch Bonner Pepper will do just fine.It's worth making a big batch to eat leftovers for most of a week.

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Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Soaking Time12 hours hrs

Course: Main, Side

Cuisine: Haitian

Diet: Vegan

Keyword: caribbean pepper, red kidney beans, rice

Servings: 6

1x2x3x

Calories: 381kcal

Author: Naïby

Equipment

• 1 Dutch-oven
• 1 Sieve
• 1 Measuring cup
• 1 Cutting Board
• 1 Wooden spoon
• Knives

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup dried red kidney beans
• ▢ 3 pieces kombu 3 to 4 inches long (optional)
• ▢ 6 cups water
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ ½ cup onion finely chopped
• ▢ 1 bulb shallot finely chopped
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• ▢ ¼ green pepper finely diced
• ▢ 2 cups long-grain white rice rinsed
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 3 whole cloves (½ teaspoon ground)
• ▢ 1 habanero pepper or Scotch Bonnet pepper
• ▢ 3 sprigs parsley
• ▢ 3 sprigs thyme

Instructions

• Place the kidney beans and optional kombu in a saucepan in 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cook until the beans are slightly hard (do not overcook). Strain the beans and reserve about 5 cups of the bean water (add water if there is not enough).
• In the same saucepan, sauté the onion, shallot, green onion, and green pepper over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent, about 3 min, then garlic for 2 min. Add cooked beans and stir in the spices. Simmer for 5 minutes to combine the flavors. (Be careful not to mash the beans!)
• Add 3 cups of reserved bean water, salt, pepper, cloves and whole hot pepper and stir. Add the rice and bring to a boil. When the water reaches the level of the rice, reduce to low-heat, place the parsley and thyme on top of the rice, cover and simmer for 18–20 minutes.
• Remove the hot pepper, parsley and thyme and let stand, covered, for 5 min.
• Fluff lightly with a fork and serve immediately.
• Placed in an airtight container, this Haitian rice and beans will keep for up to 5-6 days in the refrigerator and 6 months in the freezer.

Notes

• Haitian green seasoning Epis – swap the onion, green onion, scallion, garlic, and green pepper for this special seasoning or add it.
• Tomatoes – some recipes include diced tomatoes while sautéing.
• Vegetable broth – add 1 bouillon cube or 1 tablespoon powder for more taste. If possible, choose a broth that mimics the chicken or beef flavor.

Variants

• Rice and Black Beans – replaces red beans with black beans.  
• Brown Rice and Beans – replace white rice with brown rice.
• Coconut Rice and Beans – replaces 1 cup of water when cooking rice with coconut milk for an exotic flavor.

Nutrition

Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 222mg | Potassium: 533mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 84IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 3mg

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