This easy rice and black dish is the perfect side dish for a protein meal or can be used as a standalone main dish itself when served with couple of side dishes like yucca, plaintains and fresh pico de gallo.
Soak beans overnight. Next day, drain the liquid and rinse.
Place beans in a pot, cover with water (about 1 inch over the beans) and set to boil. Add 1 garlic cloves to pot. Once water boils, then lower heat to medium and cover the pot. Let cook for about 1 hr to 1 hr 15 minutes or until the beans are soft. Water where beans cooked should be a dark color.
In another pot, add olive oil and turn heat to medium-high. Saute the onions and remaining garlic until onions become translucent.
Add chopped bell pepper and continue sauteing.
Add rice and mix slowly so the all the rice grains saute with the veggies. Keep mixing so rice doesn't burn. You want to saute until all the rice grains look shiny because they're coated with oil.
Add 4 ladles full of cooked beans from the first pot to the one with the rice.
Then pour the water where beans cooked into measuring cups. Add about 4-5 cups of the dark liquid into the pot with rice and beans. You need 8 cups of liquid in total. So add the remaining cups filled with regular water or broth, you choice. It's important to calculate the 8 cups of liquid, part from the beans and part regular water but total should add to 8 cups (if using 4 cups of rice).
Add salt pepper to taste and any other seasonings you like at this point. Mix well and let it cook in medium until all visible water evaporates. Then lower heat to low for few more minutes and cover the pot.
Serve garnished with chopped fresh cilantro and lime wedges and with other sides of your choice.
Notes
I'm not including soaking beans overnight in the cooking times as that is not active cooking.
If using canned beans you can have this dish ready in just half an hour. However, I strongly prefer the dried beans.
I estimated about 250 calories per serving using MyFitnessPal. This estimation is only for the rice and black beans, but not the side dishes.
You can use coconut oil instead of olive oil.
If you like your meals well condimented you can add more spices to this dish like cumin or herbs.