Peruvian Beans
Beans are a staple in Peruvian cuisine. The first known beans in the Americas were found in Peru during an archeological dig, dating back thousands of years. We now know the bean as mayocoba, canary, or Mexican yellow beans. They are kind of similar to a pinto bean, but are creamier in texture. These beans can be used in soups, stews, salads, refried, and as a side dish like in this recipe.Mayocoba beans can be found in any grocery. For this particular recipe, I used dried beans instead of canned. I personally prefer dried over canned because they absorb more of the juices. They are also half the price and don’t contain extra salt. I cooked them in my Instant Pot. They take only 30 minutes without soaking. Peruvian beans will always contain onions, garlic, carrots, some type of pepper, sugar, tomato paste, and a vinegar; sweet and savory with a touch of acidity. These beans can be garnished with cilantro, slices of avocado, a dollop of plain yogurt, or lime wedges. You can also eat these beans as a main course over rice.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 carrot julienned
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 chipotle peppers chopped
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups vegie or chicken stock
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 4 cups mayocoba beans
- 1 tbsp corn or tapioca starch
- 1 tbsp water
Garnish
- avocado sliced
- cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Heat up cooking oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add in the onions and garlic. Cook for 4 minutes.
- Stir in the carrots and bell pepper. Sauté for another 4 minutes.
- Add in the cumin, smoked paprika, chipotle peppers, and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the stock, honey, and red wine vinegar. Bring to a boil.
- Stir in the beans. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.
- Uncover. Make a slurry from the cornstarch and water. Add to the beans and stir. The beans will thicken in a minute or two. Turn off the heat.
