Eating well — tasty meals that are nutritionally dense and balanced — costs less than eating junk food.  Tap water is cheaper than soda.  An eight quart crockpot worth of curry (culturally appropriated from India) brown rice and beans (culturally appropriated from Latin America)  costs less than a Costco pizza.     

We use brown rice instead of white rice because the former has four times more fiber than does the latter.  The low fiber count in white rice makes it a quickly digested carb that can cause spikes in blood glucose levels.  The fiber in brown rice makes it a slowly digested carb, and it’ll help you poop better.        

Equipment

• Rice cooker
• Crockpot (this recipe is for 8 quart size)

Ingredients (costs us ~$6 to make)

• Two cups of dry pinto beans ($.50/lb at business Costco)
• Four cups of dry brown rice, Homai brand ($.50/lb at business Costco).  
• Four cups of chopped onions, roughly the size of your thumbnail.  
• Two cups of curry powder, we use the Olde Thompson brand found at residential Costco.  
• Two cups of olive oil.  
• One cup of salt.

Instructions (takes us ~8 minutes of prep time, 1 hour of cook time)

1. Use a rice cooker to cook four cups of brown rice in eight cups of water.  (1:2 ratio)
2. Use a crockpot, turned on high, to cook four cups of onions in two cups of olive oil. They can be cooked for as long as you want, as long as they’re not burned.  Twenty minutes works for those who cook with a timer.       
3. Add two cups of curry powder and one cup of salt to onions.  Add four quarts of water to the crockpot.  
4. Remove rice from the rice cooker.  Use the rice cooker to cook two cups of beans in 6 cups of water.  
5. Transfer cooked beans to the crockpot.  Cook beans until they’re soft to bite.
6. Add the cooked brown rice to the crockpot.  Stir until the rice and beans are mixed to your liking.  
7. Turn the crockpot to warm.  Serve.    

You can serve the rice and beans mixed with a protein.  Like meatballs, or salmon.  Whatever you want.  And don’t hesitate to cook it on high longer if you prefer your rice to be meatier from soaking up the water.  Add more water if you prefer the dish to be wetter.  We usually serve it wet after it’s made, and then it gets dryer throughout the day as the rice soaks up the water.  We add water and stir when it gets too dry.  

Most rice and beans are served dry.  Our version is served wet, as if gravy was poured on it, making it easier and more comforting to eat.