1. Safety note: This is not part of the recipe, but it is information that has recently been highlighted in various places. Dry beans, especially dry red kidney beans, contain a toxin called Phytohaemagglutinin, which can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Soaking and boiling dry beans helps remove this toxin to make beans safe to eat -- in a slow cooker, the temperature never gets hot enough to heat up dry beans sufficiently [source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration]. They recommend that you first soak them for a minimum of 12 hours, rinse them, and then boil them for 10 minutes. Singla has said that the long cooking here has the same effect, but if you have any concerns, please use these instructions, and expect the beans to finish cooking more quickly. Use less water if you start with soaked beans. 2. Put all ingredients except the cilantro and the rice into a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker. Cook on High for 11 hours, until the beans break down and the whole is somewhat creamy. (Several people have mentioned that it seems watery, so you might want to try less water - definitely less water if beans were pre-soaked). 3. If you can find them, remove the cloves and the cinnamon stick. If the beans are not as creamy as you want them, stick your immersion blender in there and whir a bit. (Or remove about one cup of the beans and process in blender or food processor). Most of the beans should remain whole. 4. Stir in cilantro and serve over rice. 5. Optional: Stir in 1 cup yogurt, cover and let sit for 10 minutes, for a tangy twist. 6. Use a 3 1/2 quart slow cooker if making half the quantity. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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