Last updated on April 15th, 2020
Black Beans with Mango Salsa and Yellow Rice is one of the best things I’ve ever put in my mouth. The beans are zingy with lime juice and red curry paste. Meanwhile, the sweetness of the mango salsa is tempered with cayenne pepper. And oh, the rice! Ground turmeric gives the grains a golden color, while coconut milk lends remarkable flavor. Blah, blah, blah. Let’s make this dinner!
Note: I adapted this recipe from The Moosewood Restaurant Table cookbook (2017; St. Martin’s Griffin). The book contains 250 vegetarian recipes. Click here for details.
Another note: Black Beans with Mango Salsa and Yellow Rice comes together fairly quickly (about 30 minutes from start to finish). Make the mango salsa first. Then, move on to the rice. And while the rice is simmering, assemble and cook the black bean mixture.
The Mango Salsa
To start, peel and dice 2 or 3 mangoes…
And put them in a bowl.
Now toss the mangoes with the juice of 1 lime…
Plus a nice pinch of cayenne pepper…
And a sprinkling of chopped cilantro. Set the salsa aside.
The Rice
Next, briefly rinse 1 1/2 cups white rice. This way, the grains won’t stick together as they cook.
Put the rice in a heavy, medium-size pot, and add 1 teaspoon ground turmeric.
Also add 1/2 teaspoon salt…
And 1 teaspoon vegetable or olive oil.
Set the pot over medium heat, and stir slowly and continuously for about 2 minutes.
Then add 1 1/2 cups water and 3/4 cup coconut milk. That’s half of a (13.5 ounce) can of coconut milk. We’ll add the remaining milk to the beans in just a minute. Please don’t rush me.
Cover the pot, reduce the heat to “low,” and let simmer quietly until the liquid is evaporated — 15-20 minutes.
When the rice is done, fluff it with a fork.
Then place your favorite kitchen towel over the pot, and replace the lid. The towel will stop the rice from gumming up, while the lid will conserve warmth.
The Black Beans
In a large skillet, warm a glug of olive oil (or vegetable oil) over medium heat. (Related post: Black Bean Burgers.)
To the skillet, add 2/3 cup minced shallots or diced onion.
Also add 2 or 3 cloves of garlic (or, use garlic paste)…
And 1 tablespoon of fresh, grated ginger. Saute the works until the onion starts to color — about 5 minutes.
Then add 4 1/2 cups drained cooked black beans (the equivalent of three 15-ounce cans).
Now stir in 2 teaspoons red curry paste, which mercifully is not enough paste to set your tongue on fire…
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (I used the juice of 2 limes)…
The remaining 3/4 cup coconut milk…
1 tablespoon brown sugar if you’re not afraid to use it…
And 3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste).
Permit the beans to simmer for 10-15 minutes, then use a common potato masher to mash some, though not all, of the beans.
Let’s Eat!
What’s say we eat? Put some of the rice on a plate or in a shallow bowl…
Add a portion of the black bean mixture…
And top off with some of the mango salsa!
This is delicious. It’s also vegan. At least, I think it’s vegan.
Think you’ll give this Black Beans with Mango Salsa and Yellow Rice a whirl in your own kitchen? Post a comment below. As always, I love hearing from you! xKevin
Here’s the printable:
Black Beans with Mango Salsa and Yellow Rice
Ingredients
For the mango salsa:
- 3 mangoes, peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
For the rice:
- 1 1/2 cups white rice
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vegetable or olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
For the black beans:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2/3 cup minced shallots or onion
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
- 4 1/2 cups drained, cooked black beans (3 15-ounce cans, drained)
- 2 teaspoons red curry paste
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
- 3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- Optional: 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
Making the mango salsa:
- Stir together the salsa ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside to let the flavors develop.
Making the yellow rice:
- Briefly rinse and then drain the rice in a fine-mesh sieve. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add the rice, turmeric, salt, and oil. Stir slowly and continuously for about 2 minutes. Add the water and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Then cover the pot, lower the heat, and simmer quietly until the liquid is absorbed -- 15-20 minutes. Off heat, fluff the rice with a fork. Cover the pot with a kitchen towel and put the lid on top. Let sit until serving time.
Making the black bean mixture:
- While the rice is simmering, tip the oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots or onions, the garlic, and the ginger. Saute until the color begin to color -- about 5 minutes. Add the beans, curry paste, lime juice, coconut milk, salt, and (optional) brown sugar and stir well. Simmer, stirring often, for 10-15 minutes. Off heat, mash some but not all of the black beans.
Serving:
- Divide the rice among 4 plates or shallow soup plates. Top with the black beans and salsa. Serve warm.
Video
Nutrition
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Helen says
Kevin, You can buy frozen cubes of ginger and garlic at Trader Joe’s. I think each cube is equal to a teaspoon. You commented in the video that you wished ginger came in a tube like the garlic does.
Valerie says
Kevin…oh my….this looks SO mouth-watering good! Will whip this up for Valentine’s Day! Thank you so much!! 🙂
Fern says
Yes!!! Thank you for vegan yumminess! Love you regardless, but am so glad to see a recipe for something I will actually eat! Love all your gardening videos and info too. I teach gardening to preschoolers in Westchester, NY and have learned so much from you..thx!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Helen – Thanks to you, I researched ginger paste. It’s available in a jar from Asian markets (and from Amazon).
Hi Valerie – Please let me know how the dish turns out for you.
Hi Fern – So happy!
Sar says
Glad you walked us through it, because the long recipe would have scared me off! Definitely going to make.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Sar – Long, because this dish is actually 3 recipes in one. Let me know how the dinner turns out for you!
Patricia Mersman says
yummy, BUT: 852 calories per serving won’t fit my eating plan of 1200 per day. How can I deal with this problem?
Also, how about using brown Basmati rice instead of white? I know it takes longer to cook, but I’m okay with that.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Patricia – I don’t know if the calorie count is correct. In any event, the 4 servings the recipe makes are quite large. Bet you could get 6 servings out of the dish, which would reduce the calorie count rather dramatically. As for brown basmati rice, feel free to experiment!
Carol H. says
Is *yellow rice* just white rice that is colored with spices? I always thought it was different than white rice!
I’m wondering how this would be with brown rice? (I’m not eating white stuff—rice, potatoes, flour, etc.)
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Carol H. – Yellow rice gets its color from saffron, or, in this case, turmeric. If you can’t have white rice, go ahead and use brown.
Anita says
Can’t wait to try this! SO happy to see vegan recipe from you. Definitely something I’ll make and share – and have again the next day, too! Thanks so much!
Liliana says
Excellent recipe! I just made it tonight and everyone loved it, including my picky eater teenage soon. My husband’s comment was to please make it all the time! I’ll have to learn how to make it quicker though, because with all the chopping and prep work, it took me over 2 hours to make, without taking any breaks. Just to wash, cut up and peel the 3 mangos took almost half an hour, but then I don’t buy them every day, so I don’t know them so well and had to watch a quick video on how to do that. Then I realized 2 would have been sufficient. Anyway, it was totally worth it!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Anita – Let me know how the dish works out for you!
Hi Liliana – So happy you enjoyed this vegan meal! (And I agree with you — mangoes can be a real pain to slice and dice.)
Sharon says
LOVED THIS! Complex flavors and simple to put together. Just a tad time consuming to prep the stuff ahead of time. I just happened to have 3 perfectly ripe mangoes on hand so that was easy . I would suggest Kevin, to edit the recipe to tell us what KIND of white rice to use. I watched the video and you use Jasmine rice, but the step by step and printed directions just say white rice.
I made Tijan seasoned chicken seared on cast iron for some added protein.
Delicioso!
Sharon says
Sorry! I meant 5 stars but it would not let me edit on my above review.
Absolutely perfect!
Honeybee says
Kevin you have done it again. The HH and I are simply wowed by this vegan dish! I used frozen mango, while frozen I cut the large pieces smaller. I see many are asking about rice. I used Calrose and now have the perfect recipe for yellow rice. Keep up the wonderful work and we will keep cooking it.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Sharon – I used jasmine rice, but any medium- or long-grain white rice will work. So glad you tried the recipe and that it worked out for you!
Hi Honeybee – Great time-saving idea to use frozen mango from the supermarket! So glad you posted your review. Five stars — thank you!
Pat says
Hi Kevin. I was just about to pull up your recipe for Black Bean Burgers when this recipe popped up. What a treat! I cut it in half as we are just two but wish I’d made the whole lot so I had leftovers. The flavour/spice mix was perfect.
While we’re not vegans or even vegetarians, we’re trying to add more non-meat meals into our diet. This one will be on the Rolodex for sure! Thanks Kevin.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Pat – So glad!