On Thursdays, we eat Haitian rice and beans. We pray for our friends in Haiti and around the world.
We started this tradition in January before we knew the coronavirus even existed. Long before people were stocking their pantries for home quarantine. We wanted to eat this simple meal in solidarity with people who survive on little.
Haitian rice and beans may seem simple, but the flavors have a surprising depth with a mix of garlic, cloves and oregano. When rice and beans are combined, God designed them with a certain synergy that makes them a “complete protein.” This serves as a hearty main dish if you’re on a budget! My girls look forward to it.
Tonight we savored our rice and beans and realized how different our world looks even from a week ago. Our friend messaged us from Haiti this morning to see if we were all ok. We were humbled, knowing our friends in Haiti face harder things than the coronavirus on a daily basis. We pray for each other tonight.
Instant Pot Recipe: Easy Haitian Rice & Beans
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme or oregano
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 cups rice (We like Jasmine.)
- 3 whole cloves
- 3 cups water or organic chicken broth
- 1 can pinto beans (or other beans)
Instructions
- Press sauté on Instant Pot. Put butter in the pot to melt.
- Add minced garlic and sauté a few minutes until fragrant.
- Add tomato paste, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Meanwhile, rinse 2 cups rice and add to the pot. sauté rice until light brown.
- Add chicken broth to the pot, covering the rice.
- Secure Instant pot and make sure valve is set to sealing. Press manual button and type in 10 minutes. Press start.
- While the rice is cooking, drain the beans.
- When the time is up, wait 5 minutes. Then move the lid to venting and let the pressure release. Open the Instant Pot, and stir in pinto beans.
- Serve as a main dish or side dish with Haitian chicken and sauce.
Made this for the first time and loved how it simple it was in the IP! My only question is—do you mean 1 TBS of salt or should it be 2 tsp like your original stovetop recipe? (Next time I’ll use the 2 tsp.) Will be a regular rotation in our meals! Thanks again for sharing it and it’s significance to your family. We used it as a time to pray for others as well.
Yes, you can do 2 teaspoons. Really depends on preference and if you’re using salted broth. I also reduced the cloves to 1/8 teaspoon.