Curried Rice and Beans

This recipe is from Patti LaBelle's really neat cookbook, LaBelle Cuisine: Recipes to Sing About. It's a nice, simple rice and beans recipe that tastes really good, and is very easy to make.

The original recipe calls for kidney beans, but I used chickpeas since that's all I had in the house. I also used spinach instead of the okra because I am not an okra fan.

Armstead's Curried Rice and Beans
2 cups water
1 cup long-grain rice
2 vegetable bouillon cubes, crumbled
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
One 10-ounce package thawed frozen cut okra
One 15 1/2-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

In a medium saucepan, bring the water, rice, bouillon cubes, curry powder, turmeric, and salt to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cover tightly. Cook until the rice in tender and absorbs the liquid, about 18 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the green onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the okra and kidney beans and bring to a simmer.

Add the rice mixture and stir until combined. Serve immediately.