Red Bean Rice

This is a traditional dish of Louisiana Creole cuisine. Creole food is a sophisticated, rich mélange of Spanish, French, Italian, and African foods. You will find red beans, bell peppers, onions and celery cooked along with meat, ham or sausages in a pot and served with rice.

Nutrition - One half a cup of Red beans provides about 100-150 kcals of energy, 5-10 gms of protein and 5 gms of fiber.

Ingredients

• 1 cup long-grain rice
• 2 slices bacon
• 2 cups cooked red beans
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 chopped green pepper
• 2 pods garlic, minced
• 2 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper sauce
• 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
• Clutch of cilantro for garnish
• Salt to taste

Method

Cook rice till done. Keep aside. In a pan, cook bacon till brown. Place on paper towels to drain. To the same pan, add onion, celery, green pepper, garlic, thyme and garlic. Cook till tender. Add the beans along with the cooking water. Mix in the bacon, cayenne pepper sauce and season with salt. Cook for about 5 minutes. Serve this mixture over the cooked rice. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Tips

A portion of red bean rice is about 280 calories. Red beans are a source of high-quality, low-fat protein.

Besides they offer the digestive benefits of cholesterol-reducing fiber. Including different types of beans

about 4 times a week into your diet reduces your heart attack risk. You can try this recipe with black beans,

garbanzo beans or kidney beans.