Asian Inspired Baked Beans

This is a dump recipe - below are guidelines, but use whatever you have on hand. I would suggest a slow cooker, but an InstantPot or even the oven or stove top could work.

1 lb dried beans, soaked overnight if desired

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 carrot, 1" chunks

2-3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 T Curry powder

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t ground clove, allspice

1 6oz can of tomato paste

1 T Thai curry paste (optional if you have it)

1 T Oyster sauce

2 T Thai sweet chili sauce

1/2 t Thai fish sauce or Worcestershire

1 t chipotle adobo sauce (probably could sub a squirt of Sriracha + 1 tsp smoked paprika)

1 or 2 star anise pods

1 bunch of cilantro - divided into stems and leaves.

salt & pepper to taste

Chick stock or water

2-3 baking potatos, cubed into 1-1.5" chunks

1 or 2 zucchini, small dice

4-8oz Sour cream to taste

1. Saute the onions, peppers and carrots with curry, cinnamon, clove, allspice, salt, and pepper in a little oil until soft in a large skillet.
2. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant.
3. Add the tomato paste, curry paste, and the sauces. Cook it down until the tomato paste begins to caramelize.
4. Put your drained beans, the potatoes in your slow cooker or with the mixture in the skillet. Add enough water or chicken stock to loosen the mixture for cooking the beans (2-3 cups).
5. Using kitchen twine, tie the cilantro stems into a bundle and add them along with the star anise pods. Chop the cilantro leaves and save them to add at the end of cooking.
6. Cook the beans to your preferred doneness. Slow cooker can go on low all day. InstantPot ~45 minutes or so. Oven or stove top is anywhere from 2-5 hours (if cooking in the oven or on the stovemake sure you check regularly and add liquid as necessary to keep the beans covered)
7. About a half hour before the beans are cooked to your liking, add the diced zucchini.
8. When the zucchini pieces are to done to your taste, stir in the sour cream and the reserved cilantro leaves.
9. Serve.