accidental black bean curry

[redbird]

My usual method for black beans and rice is based on the recipe on the Goya can; however, rather than buy their seasoning mix, I grab whatever seems good at the time, usually including cumin and oregano.

So, I had the chopped onion and bell pepper ready, the bacon was cooking (the base recipe not only doesn't call for bacon, it's quietly vegan), and I grabbed the jars of spice and the measuring spoons. Singapore seasoning, cumin, garam masala, ginger…and then realized I'd forgotten the garlic, and threw in a bit of garlic powder because it was quicker than using fresh.

…I took the bacon out to cool and cut up (and put back in at the end of the cooking), sauteed the vegetables in the bacon fat, added the beans to the pan, stirred in the spices and a bit of water and vinegar, and realized that I'd mixed up the spices I would normally use for a chicken or shrimp curry.

At that point there wasn't much to do but finish cooking and hope it worked.

It worked well enough to be dinner, but this isn't going to become my standard spicing for black beans, though I may try using more cumin and ginger than I have in the past. It's also not going to replace the rather tomatoey chick pea curry recipe I've made a few times. Still, variety is good, even if in this case it came from getting sidetracked on something that I've made often enough that I don't need to think about it.

Comments

[ranunculus]

Been there, done very similar things....

Just been reading Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat. Fascinating. Well worth $35 at Powells or less on Amazon. (I support Powells, but not Amazon...)
It is a discussion of how each of the title ingredients shape our food. It is written by a chef who has worked for, and with many of the great chefs, and the great thinkers about food in this era. She started her food career at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, went on to work for Alice Waters and first took classes with and then gave classes to Michael Pollan.
So far I've read the first section, on salt, and have learned several things. A couple of those things should have been evident if I'd thought about them, but in general it taught me a lot, and I like to cook...

[rafiwinters]

I have a great black bean recipe--a Cuban one--and the seasoning is mainly cumin and oregano. I've been making it on for a New Year's Day party for about 30 years. Would be happy to send it to you.

[redbird]

If it doesn't use hot peppers, please. (Unfortunately, capsaicin and I don't get along these days, except sometimes in very small quantities.)

[minoanmiss]

I was wondering about the garam masala until the Curry Realization dawned. And hey, at least it was good.

[rafiwinters]

It calls for a certain amount of fresh hot green pepper--something on the order of one jalapeno--but I imagine it could be left out without affecting anything much.

What's the best way to get this to you? Copy/paste to your DW?

[redbird]

Either that, or email to vr @ panix dot com.

Thanks.

[rafiwinters]

emailed!

[redbird]

Got it, thanks. I'm not sure it quite fits my tastes, given the pimientos, but I may check with Adrian and Cattitude for their opinions. (Writing this, I realize part of my hesitation is that I associate them with stuffed olives; they like olives and I don't, except in the form of olive oil.)