I did not have high hopes for this dish. It seemed a bit boring and I really wasn't sure how the Indo-Mexican fusion would work out. As it turns out... it worked out amazing! This was really delicious. We all loved it!

There were a few hiccoughs with making it. The recipe as written calls for white rice cooked with the pot-in-pot method. I wanted to do it with brown rice, which takes much longer to cook. So I figured that if I just switched the pots around it would work out alright. Rather than having the beans and corn in the bottom with the rice in the second tier above and cooking it for 6 minutes. I'd have the rice in the bottom with the beans and corn above and cook it for 18 minutes. Perfect!

In the end, it didn't quite work out as perfectly as I'd hoped. In the last minute of cooking, the InstantPot beeped and put up a "burn" message. The rice had cooked dry and was sticking to the bottom. This, despite the fact that I'd used the exact same rice:water ratio that I always do for making rice in the InstantPot. I think having the second tier in there may have thrown off the balance slightly. The beans and rice seemed to have accumulated significantly more water than they'd had when I sealed the cooker.

In the end I was able to salvage the rice by adding a bit more water and scraping the stuck-on bits off the bottom of the pot. Then I just sealed it back up and let it sit on "keep warm" for 10 minutes. Everything was cooked through and tasted delicious. I think I would divy the water up differently next time though to try to avoid the mad scramble to save the rice at the end.

The instructions below reflect the changes I plan to make the next time I prepare this meal. I think it should work quite well, but be forewarned, I have not tested this out yet!

Curried Black Bean Burrito Bowl

Adapted from Vegetarian Indian Cooking with Your Instant Pot

Ingredients

• 1 c. long-grain brown rice
• 1 1/2 c. water
• 2 c. cooked black beans
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 c. frozen corn
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp. dried garlic
• 1/2 tsp. dried onion
• 1/4 tsp. sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp. Dhania-Jeera Masala
• 1/2 tsp. Madras Curry Powder
• 1/8 tsp. ground cayenne (optional)
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 onion, halved and sliced thin
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 fresh green Thai chilies, sliced crosswise ~5mm thick
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 1 recipe Guacamole (or this one)
• 1/4-1/2 c. salsa

Directions

1. Add rice and water to InstantPot.
2. Place trivet in pot.
3. Combine beans, bell pepper, corn, bay leaf, dried garlic, dried onion, paprika, masala, curry powder, cayenne (if using), and salt in a metal or glass bowl or pot that will fit inside the InstantPot.
4. Place the bean-filled bowl on the trivet in the InstantPot.
5. Seal the lid and pressure cook on high for 18 minutes.
6. Allow a 10-minute natural release.
7. Meanwhile, heat oil over medium heat.
8. Add onion and cook for 4-5 minutes.
9. Add garlic and chilies and cook for andother 4-5 minutes.
10. Toss in 2 Tbsp. of the cilantro, stir once or twice, and immediately remove from heat and set aside.
11. Once InstantPot is done and 10-minute natural release is complete, open the valve and release any remaining pressure and remove the lid.
12. Carefully remove the container of bean mixture.
13. Stir the oil mixture and lime juice into the bean mixture.
14. Fluff the rice and add the remaining cilantro.
15. Serve rice topped with bean mixture, guacamole, and salsa. Garnish with lime wedges and tortilla chips if desired.