Black Bean Fried Rice with Peppers, Coriander and Fried Eggs
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen and Serious Eats.
A Costa Rican breakfast classic of black beans and rice fried together with peppers and coriander until speckled and piping hot, topped with a fried egg and avocado. Cooking the rice the day before is the secret to properly separate, crisp-fried grains.
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Method
- 1
Cook the rice. Put the rice, water and 1/4 tsp salt in the saucepan, bring to the boil, then cover, turn the heat right down and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Keeping the lid on traps the steam that finishes cooking the grains evenly. Rest off the heat for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- 2
Cool the rice quickly. Spread the rice out on the tray so it cools quickly, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight, making sure it's chilled within 1 hour of cooking. Spreading it thin lets the heat escape fast rather than leaving the rice sitting warm, which matters for food safety as well as texture. Cold, dry grains also fry far better than warm, sticky ones.
- 3
Soften the vegetables. Heat the oil in the large pan over medium heat and cook the onion and red pepper for 6-8 minutes until soft. This gentle start builds a sweet base flavour before the beans and spices go in.
- 4
Simmer the beans. Stir in the garlic, cumin and ground coriander and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the beans, water and 1/4 tsp salt. Simmer for 5 minutes, lightly crushing a few beans with the spoon, until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Crushing some of the beans thickens the mixture naturally so it coats the rice instead of pooling as liquid.
- 5
Fry the rice. Add the cold rice to the pan, breaking up any clumps, and cook over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes, turning often, until every grain is speckled with beans and piping hot, reaching 74°C. Starting from cold, chilled rice is what keeps the grains separate and lightly crisp rather than mushy. Stir in the fresh coriander and lime juice right at the end to keep their flavour bright.
- 6
Fry the eggs. Heat the oil in the egg pan over medium heat, crack in the eggs, add a tablespoon of water, then cover and cook for 4-5 minutes until the whites are firm and the yolks are fully set, reaching 71°C. Covering the pan lets the eggs steam gently on top as well as fry underneath, so the yolks set through without needing to be flipped.
- 7
Serve. Spoon the fried rice onto plates, top each portion with a fried egg and a few avocado slices, and offer hot chilli sauce on the side for anyone who wants extra heat.
Storage
Cool the finished fried rice quickly, refrigerate within 1 hour and use within 3 days. Reheat only once until piping hot (74°C) throughout, and fry fresh eggs each time rather than reheating cooked ones. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- medium saucepan with a tight lid
- rimmed tray or shallow container
- large non-stick frying pan or wide sauté pan
- wooden spoon
- non-stick frying pan with a lid (for the eggs)
- instant-read thermometer
- fish slice (spatula)
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 550 kcal |
| Protein | 19.1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 71.3 g |
| of which sugars | 4.4 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.1 g |
| Fat | 21.4 g |
| of which saturates | 3.3 g |
| Fibre | 13.4 g |
| Salt | 2.09 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
3.5 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
