Jamaican Red Bean Stew

The day I made this recipe, it snowed. A lot (for Calgary, at least). The roads were dry the day before, and by 7PM that night there was 10cm outside. By lunchtime the next day everything outside was white. I watched a car wiggle and swerve down our street and considered myself lucky to be sitting inside in my pajamas. Calgarians forget how to drive in snow in about 3 days, unfortunately.

Anyhow, this stew was perfect for a snowy night. I served it over brown rice with sour cream and snipped green onions. It was deliciously creamy and warm and yum. The sweet potatoes become meltingly tender and the broth reduces to be rich and flavourful. Mmm.

I found this recipe through Reddit, on Savvy Vegetarian. It was very highly recommended by the person who posted it, so I thought I’d give it a try—but I also took one look at the recipe and knew it needed some fixin’.

First off, they have you cook the garlic at high heat “while you prep the other ingredients”, which sounds like a recipe for disgusting, scorched garlic if I’ve ever heard one. Then you basically just dump everything in a pot and cook it for 6–8 hours.

Instead, I started by blooming the spices in the oil. Rather than using the rather dull “curry powder” I used a mix of tandoori and garam masalas (better, more traditional curry spices), and at least twice as much. Once the spices were nice and fragrant, I added the minced garlic and chopped scallions, and sauteed everything together. Next up, everything else, and 6 hours in the oven at 300°F.

Jamaican Red Bean Stew

Adapted from Savvy Vegetarian

1 tbsp olive oil (pomace) (USA / Canada)
2 tsp tandoori masala
2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ground allspice

2 cloves garlic, minced
5 green onions, chopped
2 cups sliced carrots
1 sweet potato, diced
1 (500mL) can diced tomatoes

2 (16 oz) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups vegetable broth
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil (pomace) (USA / Canada) in a dutch oven over low heat. Add the spices and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Next, add the garlic and green onions. Cook until soft.

Add all the veggies, the beans, coconut milk, and broth. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer.

While the pot simmers, heat the oven to 300°F. Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Bake for 6–8 hours. Serve over brown rice with a scoop of sour cream and snipped green onions.