🇭🇹 Haitian Cuisine

Diri ak Pwa

Rice and Beans

Prep Time 45 min
Servings 6
Difficulty Easy
Calories 350 kcal

Fluffy rice cooked in a seasoned bean broth with red kidney beans, coconut milk, epis, and cloves, creating Haiti's most essential everyday side dish.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups long-grain white rice
  • 1 can red kidney beans with liquid
  • 200ml coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp epis paste
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1 tbsp butter or oil
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • Salt to taste
  • 500ml water
  • 1 shallot, minced

Instructions

  1. 1 Rinse rice in cold water until water runs clear. Drain and set aside.
  2. 2 In a heavy pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until soft, about two minutes.
  3. 3 Add beans with their liquid, coconut milk, epis paste, cloves, thyme, and water. Bring to a boil.
  4. 4 Add rice and stir once. When the liquid returns to a boil, reduce heat to the lowest setting.
  5. 5 Cover tightly and cook for twenty minutes without lifting the lid. Rice should absorb all liquid.
  6. 6 Remove from heat and let sit covered for five minutes. Fluff with a fork and remove cloves and thyme before serving.

Did You Know?

Haitians say a meal without diri ak pwa is not a real meal. It accompanies virtually every main dish in the country.

From The Culinary Codex — http://theculinarycodex.com/dish/haitian/diri-ak-pwa/