Diri Blan ak Sos Pwa Nwa — Print Recipe

Perfectly steamed white rice paired with a rich, thick black bean sauce seasoned with garlic, cloves, and Scotch bonnet. A quintessential everyday Haitian combination.

Ingredients

2 cups long-grain white rice
3 cups water for rice
1 tsp salt for rice
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups cooked black beans
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, diced
2 whole cloves
1 sprig thyme
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, whole
2 tbsp tomato paste
250ml bean cooking liquid or water
Salt and pepper

Instructions

1 Rinse rice until water runs clear. Bring salted water to a boil, add oil and rice. When water returns to boil, reduce to lowest heat.
2 Cover tightly and cook for twenty minutes. Do not lift the lid. Remove from heat and let rest five minutes.
3 For the sauce, heat oil in a saucepan. Cook shallot and garlic until golden, about three minutes.
4 Add tomato paste and cook one minute. Add black beans, cloves, thyme, Scotch bonnet, and liquid.
5 Simmer for fifteen minutes, mashing some beans to thicken the sauce. Remove cloves, thyme, and pepper.
6 Fluff rice with a fork and mound on plates. Ladle black bean sauce generously over the rice.

Did You Know?

While red beans are more common, black bean sauce is considered the more refined version and is often served when Haitian families want to impress guests.