Materials

• 1 lb of dried black beans - soaked overnight
• 1 large onion - diced
• 3 cloves of garlic - minced
• 2 jalapeno pepper - diced
• 2 anaheim pepper - diced
• 2 cubanelle pepper - diced
• 1/2 cup smoked ham - diced
• 1/4 lb of salted pork - cut into cubes
• 1 can of canned tomatoes
• 1 can of tomato paste
• 1/2 cup of cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1-2 cups fresh beef broth
• 1 teaspoon cumin

Instructions

1. Place the beans in a deep pan, add 12 cups of water, salt to taste, bring to boil
2. In a separate skillet, add oil, add salted pork. Grill until rendered of fat.
3. Add in the chopped onion, garlic, peppers and cook until the onion is wilted
4. Add in oregano, ham, tomatoes, and coriander leaves. Cook briefly. This mixture is known as sofrito
5. Spoon tand scrape the sofrito into the beans and continue to cook until 1.5-2 hrs and the broth thickens up. (If the pot runs dry, add beef broth)
6. Add cumin and serve with vinegar.

Comments

This can be easily made into a vegetarian dish by removing the ham and salted pork, and replacing beef broth with vegetable broth. Do note, however, that taking those things out will decrease the sodium content, so consider adding in more salt to compensate.

You can also mix it up with the types of peppers that go into this dish.

Source

Originally from Craig Claiborne’s NYT Cook Book.

And Jesse’s dad.

Materials

• 3 cloves of garlic - minced
• 2 Thai red chilis - minced
• 1 green chili - minced
• 1 small onion - diced
• 2 green onions - cut into long (3cm) pieces
• 1 cup Thai Basil
• 1 Baby Bak Choy (or other greens)
• half a box of tofu - sliced into thin stripes
• 3 tablespoon fish sauce
• 3 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 3 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 200g dried rice noodles - prepare per packet

Instructions

1. Prepare noodles per packet instructions
2. Mix the fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and water in a small bowl
3. Heat oil in wok over medium-high heat
4. Add in tofu pieces, fry until outside turns golden brown, flip to cook both sides.
5. Set the tofu aside for later use. Add oil back into the wok, heat until smoking
6. Add garlic and chili, cook for 10 seconds until aromatic
7. Add onion, cook for 1 minute
8. Add in the fried tofu
9. Add green onion, bak choy, noodles, sauce, and cook until the sauce reduces and coats the noodles
10. Remove from heat and immediately add basil, toss until just wilted

Comments

I experimented with mixing together different type of chilis, to great success. They usually complement each other in taste. Would recommend.

One can easily sub out the tofu for chicken or other protein source to make this into a meat dish.

Source

Original from here.

Materials

• 3-4 medium beets - peeled and grated
• 1 large onion - diced
• 3 cloves of garlic - minced
• 1 green chili - minced
• 1 sprig of curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
• salt

Instructions

1. Heat a pan with oil and add mustard
2. When the mustard begins to crackle, add curry leaves
3. Saute for few seconds and add chopped onions
4. Fry until the onion is translucent
5. Add grated beetroot
6. Sprinkle salt and begin to stir fry for 1-2 mins
7. Cover and cook until tender on low heat. If the beetroot is not tender, sprinkle in some water
8. Add the minced garlic, pepper, tumeric, and cumin mixture
9. Saute for 2 min on a medium to low flame

Comments

This dish is a bit dry, would recommend serving with something to drink and/or a soup.

Source

Originally from here.

Materials

• 1 yellow onion - diced
• 5 cloves of garlic - minced
• 1 red chili pepper - minced
• 1 can of fresh tomatos
• 1 can of tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 4 cups of vegetable stock
• 15 oz white beans (soak overnight in salt water)
• 2 tablespoon dry thyme
• 2 tablespoon dry parsley
• 2 tablespoon dry chives
• leafy greens - diced
• salt + pepper

Instructions

1. In a wide pot, heat oil over medium heat, add diced onion and sautee for three minutes.
2. Add garlic and minced chili pepper, cook until fragrant
3. Add tomatoes and cook until bubbly
4. Melt butter into the tomatoes, add salt & pepper
5. Add the vegetable stock and bring to boil
6. Add in the beans, season with herbs + potentially more salt/pepper
7. Upon boil, turn the heat down to a simmer, and let sit for 30 minutes
8. Stir in the diced leafy greens, cook until wilted

Comments

First time I cooked this, the white beans did not pick up a lot of the flavor within the broth. Even though the broth itself was very flavorful.

Asking around, it seems like one need to soak the beans in salty water overnight, for the beans to at least have some flavor profile.

Source

Originally from here.

Salty water tip from the ever helpful Sweta Karlekar.