Frijoles Negros Refritos (Refried Black Beans)
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Inspired by recent Mexican supperclubs, tamale parties and Mexican cookery classes, we're going Mexican style on this Meat Free Monday with one of our most popular recipes: Frijoles Negros Refritos. It may sound like a simple dish, but one taste of these and you'll realise this is so much more than a bowl of beans. The beans are cooked with lots of onion, garlic, chilli, epazote (a Mexican herb), lime, orange juice and other spices to give it a real complexity. They are the perfect accompaniment to any Mexican meal. We like to serve them alongside corn tortillas, salsa verde and guacamole.
Tips:
Epazote is a pungent native Mexican herb that is too strong to eat raw. It’s best added to the water when cooking beans, slow cooked stews or mole, adding a far more subtle flavour. It’s an easy annual herb to grow in our climate if you grow to like it!
The beans freeze really well so it's worth making a big batch and storing extra in the freezer.
If you haven’t got dried black beans you can use pinto beans.
Frijoles Negros Refritos Re-fried Black Beans
Dietary: Vegan | Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- 200g dried black beans
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried epazote (optional)
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 onion-halved
- A sprinkle of fresh thyme
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 tbsp epazote (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 orange, juice of
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- lots of chopped coriander
- brown sugar
- salt and pepper
Method:
- Soak the beans in lots of water overnight.
- Next day drain the beans and rinse them, checking for any stray stones.
- Boil in plenty of water with the bay, half onion, garlic and epazote until tender, which takes 1-2 hours-keep checking the level of the water and top up a little if the beans are drying out. When the beans are soft remove the onion and bay, drain and set aside.
- In a large saucepan, fry the onion in the olive oil until soft.
- Add the garlic and chilli to the onion and fry until fragrant. Then add the paprika, epazote, coriander & cumin and quickly stir-fry.
- Add the cooked beans, orange & lime juice and cook gently until the beans begin to break down and the fruit juice has been absorbed. Add a little water if the mix gets too thick and then taste-add sugar, salt and pepper to your taste.
- Serve garnished with chopped coriander with corn tortillas and bowls of extra sliced jalapenos, spring onion. chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce and cheese.