Sort and rinse beans, then soak 4 hours or overnight. Rinse well, then place in a saucepan with the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1-1/2 hours, until very soft.

Drain beans, reserving 2 cups of their cooking liquid. Return the drained beans to the pot, along with the reserved liquid and the rice. Stir in the salt, chili powder, cumin,
cayenne, and liquid smoke and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently during the last 5 minutes. If rice is not yet tender, add another 1/4 cup water and continue cooking and stirring until it is absorbed. Mixture should be very soft and well combined. Remove the pan from the heat.

When bean mixture is cool enough to handle, form into 6 patties. Coat with bread crumbs. Heat 1 tsp. of canola oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the patties about 4 minutes per side, until golden brown. Add a little oil to the skillet as needed. You should use no more than 2 tsp. total.

Serve in a sandwich on whole wheat buns, with tomato slices, lettuce leaves, sliced red onion, mayonnaise, mustard, and catsup.