Tammy's Recipes

Pinto beans, onions, and garlic are cooked together, then seasoned and re-cooked for a delicious mexican refried beans

1 1/4 cups dried pinto beans, soaked overnight in enough water to cover
7 1/2 cups water
2 onions, peeled and cut in half
10 cloves garlic, peeled
2 Tablespoons butter
2 onions, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
small bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
salt
2 ounces feta cheese
fresh cilantro, for garnish

1. Drain pinto beans, and rinse and drain again. Heat water in large pot until boiling. Add soaked beans, two halved onions, and ten whole garlic cloves. Return to boiling and simmer, uncovered, for about 90 minutes, or until beans are very soft and water is almost all absorbed.

2. Melt butter in large skillet or stock pot. Add the two chopped onions, the cumin, ground coriander, and chili powder. Cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 15-20 minutes, adding water if needed to prevent scorching.

3. Stir in fresh cilantro, and the three remaining garlic cloves. Start adding beans, a spoonful at a time, frying for a couple minutes and mashing with a fork or potato masher as you add them. Continue until all beans have been added.

4. Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans have thickened to consistency desired, about 30-40 minutes. Season with salt and ladle into serving dishes, topping with feta cheese and fresh cilantro for garnish.*

*Or, skip the feta cheese and cilantro at the end, and use in a recipe that calls for canned refried beans.

This is a simple and authentic homemade refried beans recipe. If you've only ever had canned refried beans, you will find that these are much more flavorful, as well as "softer" and not so thick and dense and... solid. Joshua, who dislikes canned refried beans, actually liked these much better. I loved them. They were fun to make, too. My rating: 10/10