Hoppin' John is a Southern United States rice and beans dish. The peas are symbolic of pennies or coins so it is thought to bring a prosperous year filled with luck. I also added pork to this dish because pork is considered a symbol of wealth, prosperity and progress. Then I decided to add bacon in the dish... well... because it's bacon and my family loves bacon. The bacon also added a crunchy texture and great flavor punch. This is a one pot dish that is perfect for New Years or any day of the year if you are looking for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients:
5 cups of cooked rice (brown or white)
2 (15oz) cans of black eyed peas rinsed
1lb of lean pork diced small
6-8 slices of bacon diced
15-20 curry leaves
1 small stick of cinnamon
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1tsp of black mustard seeds
1/3 tsp of ground turmeric
2 tsp of curry powder (I used McCormick brand)
2 cloves of garlic grated
1 inch of ginger grated
1 medium onion chopped
2 celery stalks diced small
1 bunch of scallions sliced
2-3 green chilies
1 tsp of red chili flakes (or to taste)
1 1/2 cups of chicken stock (or chicken bullion and water)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Note: Before cooking the "Hoppin' John Curry make sure you have 5
cups of cooked rice ready to go. Rice that is already cool gives the
best results.
In
a large pot/pan render out the diced bacon. When the bacon gets crispy
(but not burned) you can drain on a paper towel and reserve until
later. You can get discard the oil and use canola oil or you can use 2
Tbs of the bacon fat to cook the vegetables and pork that comes next.
I decided to go for the bacon fat this time around. It gave a lot of flavor.
In
the same pan add your curry leaves, bay leaves, cumin seeds, mustard
seeds and cinnamon stick. Fry for 30-45 seconds until the seeds start
to splutter.
Next
add your diced pork, onions, celery, chilies and scallions. Cook for
2-3 minutes. Then add your grated ginger and garlic. Cook for another
1-2 minutes.
** salt to season your pork and vegetables here, but remember you will
be adding chicken stock/bullion and bacon later so salt conservatively.
Now
add your ground spices: curry powder, chili flakes and turmeric. Allow
the spices to bloom for 1-2 minutes. Then add your chicken stock or
water and chicken bullion powder.
Next add your cans of drained and rinsed black eyed peas. Simmer the dish on medium for 10-12 minutes.
Once the curry is made and seasoned to your desired taste, add the cooked rice. Mix the rice into the curry gently.
Top
with the crumbled bacon and serve. Serves 4-6 people. This dish goes
very well with a raita yogurt salad. Here is a link to one of my raita
salads:
Cucumber and Carrot Raita. Enjoy.
