Name: Spicy Mexican Rice and Beans Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp sunflower oil; 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped); 1 medium onion (finely chopped); 100 grams carrot (peeled and diced); 300 grams basmati rice; 225 ml passata; 400 ml vegetable stock ((I use a Knorr Stock Pot)); 1 tsp smoked chilli paste (or 1 tsp chilli powder, to taste); 1 tbsp tomato puree; 1 tsp whole cumin seeds (toasted and ground); 1 tsp whole coriander seeds (toasted and ground); 1 tsp smoked paprika; 198 grams tinned sweetcorn with peppers (drained); 400 grams tinned kidney (drained and rinsed); 80 grams frozen peas; smoked sea salt (to taste); freshly ground black pepper (to taste); fresh coriander leaves (to garnish)

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This quick and easy Mexican side dish, made with common store cupboard ingredients, can be ready in just 30 minutes. It’s vegan and naturally gluten-free too!

My husband and I are big fans of Spicy Mexican Rice, something we were introduced to by good old Uncle Ben’s and their microwaveable rice sachets. I confess, sometimes life gets a bit too busy to be spending loads of time cooking, or sometimes we just can’t be bothered. I know rice is a generally a quick and easy dish to make, but I do often pop those Uncle Ben’s ready-made rice sachets into our shopping trolley when they’re on offer.

However, we’re currently carless. Our ancient Toyota Rav finally packed it in and we’ve decided to stop pouring money into it and look into getting a new one. In the meantime, I’m pretty much stuck in the village, which means no supermarket shops for offers, and I had a craving for some Spicy Mexican Rice & Beans yesterday – so I made some!

Inspired by this recipe, I created my own Mexican-style spicy rice. I don’t know how authentic my recipe is, given that I’ve never been to Mexico, but I do like the intense flavours of this dish.

It’s made mostly from store-cupboard ingredients too, which means it’s a lot cheaper to make than buying ready-made sachets. We buy our basmati rice in bulk too, which saves even more pennies.

Table of Contents

INGREDIENTS FOR THIS SPICY MEXICAN RICE AND BEANS RECIPE

basmati rice
passata (sieved tomatoes) or a good quality tomato sauce
vegetable stock (I use a Knorr vegetable stock pot)
tinned kidney beans in water
tinned sweetcorn with peppers
a carrot or two
frozen peas
onion
garlic
whole cumin and coriander seeds, toasted and ground in a mortar and pestle
smoked paprika
dried chilli
smoked Mexican chilli paste – I use Gran Luchito
tomato puree (aka tomato paste) for extra tomato flavour
vegetable oil
smoked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
fresh coriander leaves, to garnish (optional)

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HOW TO MAKE THIS SPICY MEXICAN RICE AND BEANS RECIPE

Step 1: heat the oil in a heavy-based saute pan and saute the garlic, onions and carrots.

Step 2: add the rice and saute until it begins to toast and turn golden.

Step 3: add the passata, vegetable stock, chilli paste and tomato puree. Bring to the boil.

Step 4: add the beans, rice, peas and spices.

Step 5: pop the lid on and cook until the rice is tender.

Step 6: remove from heat, leave it to sit ten minutes then fluff and serve garnished with fresh coriander leaves.

This recipe serves six people as a side and any leftovers freeze very well. Simply defrost and reheat in a saucepan with a little splash of water. You can jazz it up even more by adding in a couple of handfuls of chopped seasonal greens towards the end of cooking too.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS SPICY MEXICAN RICE AND BEANS RECIPE

We like to serve our spicy Mexican rice and beans with some grilled meat – our local butchers do some rather fantastic seasoned pork chops and beef steaks that just take a few minutes to cook.

Alternatively, you might like Jacq’s Mexican Sweet Potato and Puy Lentil Mole, Kavey’s Shakshuka Boats, Choclette’s Pulled Jackfruit in a Homemade Rich Smoky Barbecue Sauce or how about Bintu’s Chocolate Roast Beef with Mexican Spices? You might also like Camilla’s ActiFry Chicken Thighs.

What would you serve with your spicy Mexican rice and beans? Let me know in the comments!