Rice with Red Kidney Beans and Spices

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Fried onion

1. 1
   Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStovePot
2. 2
   Add the onion and fry 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges. If it browns too fast, lower the heat.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.

To assemble

1. 3
   Add the rice and the turmeric, cumin and paprika and stir 2 minutes, until all the grains are coated in fat.
2. 4
   Add the boiling water, season with salt and black pepper and bring to a boil.

   Stove
3. 5
   Turn down to low, cover and simmer 18 minutes without opening the lid, until the liquid is absorbed.

   ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
4. 6
   Add the beans, stir gently and cook another 3 minutes, until it is hot.

   Stove
5. 7
   Turn off the heat and leave covered 5–10 minutes.

   💡Don't open the lid during cooking: the steam is what cooks the top layer. A towel between the pot and the lid absorbs the drips, so the rice doesn't get soggy.
6. 8
   Gently stir in the lemon juice.
7. 9
   Gently fluff with a fork and serve.