Salvadoran Black Beans Recipes

CASAMIENTO SALVADOREñO (SALVADORAN BEANS AND RICE)

Steps:

• Over medium heat, sauté onion and green pepper in oil. Turn the heat to high and add rice. Fry for a minute before adding a can of beans (with liquid).
• Add chicken bouillon, salt, and pepper to taste.
• Stir constantly until all liquid has evaporated.
• Serve with your favorite grilled meat or make a full Salvadorian breakfast with fried eggs, fried plantains, cheese, and avocado.

EL SALVADOR REFRIED BEANS

Steps:

• Put the beans in a large pot, add one onion quartered, the green pepper roughly chopped and the three garlic cloves (leave whole).
• Cover with water by about 4-5 inches IMPORTANT Do NOT salt the water, the beans will never get tender if you do. Bring to a boil and let it be for about 2 1/2 hours till beans are soft and their skins splitting. (Check on them once in a while and add water as necessary, always make sure they are covered by at least an inch of water)
• Once soft, you can add 1 teaspoon of salt, but keep them bland until the end.
• Blend the beans and cooked veggies in a blender until smooth, you want to keep them liquidy.
• In a non-stick frying pan, add 2 tablespoons of canola oil and the other quartered onion. Heat up the oil and onion slowly and cook them SLOWLY until they are black and burned, this takes quite a while, but be patient. Once black and burned remove the onion pieces reserving the flavored oil in the pan and now you add the blended beans. Cook them until you get the consistency you like.
• Add salt to taste.
• These beans are amazing thanks to the flavor that comes from the onion oil, Enjoy!

BLACK BEANS (FRIJOLES NEGROS)

Steps:

• Wash the beans and soak overnight in the water. When the beans swell, cook in the same water until soft, about 45 minutes. Heat 1 cup oil in a frying pan, add onions, garlic and green peppers. Add 1 cup of the beans to the pan and mash. Add this to the beans together with the salt, pepper, if using, oregano, bay leaves and sugar. Allow to boil for a 1 hour then add the wine and vinegar allowing to cook uncovered for a while. Add the 4 remaining tablespoons olive oil just before serving.

BLACK BEANS

Steps:

• For the beans: Place the beans in a bowl or pot, cover with cold water and allow to soak overnight. Drain and rinse before proceeding. (Alternatively, add the beans to a medium pot and cover with hot water. Bring to a boil, and then boil for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and allow the beans to sit for 1 hour. Drain the beans and rinse them with cold water before proceeding.)
• In a medium pot, add the soaked beans, chicken broth, 2 cups water, the garlic, onions and green, red and yellow bell peppers. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Then add the chile powder, cumin and salt and stir. Cover and continue simmering until the liquid level is to your liking, about another hour. Taste for seasoning and add more of what it needs.
• For the fixins: Serve in a bowl with sour cream, cilantro, lime wedges and diced bell peppers on the side.

ABUELO PELáEZ'S FRIJOLES NEGROS (BLACK BEANS)

Steps:

• In a large pot, soak beans overnight in 10 cups of water.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil, the onion, bell pepper, garlic cloves and bay leaf to beans, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour, checking regularly and skimming the foam that forms on top.
• Meanwhile, make the sofrito. Warm remaining 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the half onion, 1 bell pepper and 3 garlic cloves and sauté for about 5 minutes until soft. Add 1 bay leaf, cumin, oregano, black pepper and salt, and cook for 2 minutes more.
• Add the sofrito to beans. Stir in sherry vinegar, wine and olives, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened and cooked through. Remove both bay leaves, and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and add sugar. Serve as soup or a side dish, or over white rice.

HOMEMADE SALVADORAN PUPUSAS

Steps:

• Make the masa dough: in a large mixing bowl mix together the masa harina, salt, warm water, and oil with a wooden spoon. Knead it by hand for about 1 minute to make a smooth ball of dough. It should be soft but not very sticky. Cover and let rest for at least 15 minutes to fully hydrate.
• Divide the dough into 6 pieces and keep covered. Take one piece of a dough at a time and flatten into a thick pancake between your hands, add about 1 tablespoon of black beans or filling to the center of the disk and then add a little vegan cheese and peppers. Fold the edges of the dough over to cover and meet in the center. Flatten it between your hands to make a thick stuffed pancake. See post for photos and video showing detail.
• Place shaped pupusas on a tray (line with parchment paper to help prevent any sticking), and once they're all shaped, heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat.
• Add some oil to the pan or griddle to lightly coat, then fry about 2-4 minutes on each side, until golden with some dark spots. Work in batches as needed until all are cooked.
• Eat hot and topped with curtido or a cabbage slaw and salsa roja.

SALVADOREAN RICE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a saute pan on medium high heat. Add the rice, bell pepper, onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and tomato and saute until the rice is no longer translucent, about 10 minutes.
• Add the water and the knorr chicken bouillon powder and stir. Bring mixture to a boil and taste the liquid. Add salt or more chicken bouillon powder if needed to taste.
• Cover and cook on medium low for 20 minutes. Turn heat off and allow the rice to sit for 10 minutes.

EL SALVADORIAN BEAN AND CHEESE PUPUSAS

Steps:

• In a small mixing bowl, combine refried beans and cheese. Set aside.
• In a separate mixing bowl, combine 2 cups Masa with 1 ¼ cups water and ¼ tsp salt, mixing thoroughly until it is a soft dough (this dough dries out fast- hence the divided measurements. But if it starts to dry out while you are still working, you can add a touch more water as needed).
• Pinch a bit of dough off and roll it into a ball about 2 inches in diameter (about the size of a golf ball). Using your thumb, push down on the ball to make more of a "bowl". Place a spoonful of the bean and cheese mixture into the "bowl".
• Pinch off and flatten a bit more dough to cover the bowl with. Carefully flatten the filled ball to make a disc, making an effort to make it as thinly as possible- about 1/2 inch thick. This takes a lot of practice!
• Pour 1/4 cup of oil into a nonstick skillet and place as many pupusas as will fit, and cook over medium / medium- high heat for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until golden and browned. Repeat with the next batch, adding more oil if necessary. When the masa dough has run out, make another fresh batch.
• Serve with warmed tomato sauce and curtido.