Mexican Black Beans

A simple and easy no-soak recipe for homemade Mexican Black Beans using stove top and Instant Pot. It is healthy, protein packed, vegan and gluten free. Serve it as a main with rice or enjoy it as a side or filling for with your favorite Mexican recipes. 

 Beans (black beans or pinto beans or kidney beans) are widely used in Mexican cuisine and form a very important part of meals either in the form of curry or in soups, salads and relishes. 

When I first tried the black beans at Chipotle, it reminded me of Rajma Chawal (Red kidney beans curry with Rice) which is a staple food in north Indian region and one of my favorites. I was excited to come across the Mexican version of it – Black beans Curry. They are similar yet unique in their own ways. 

Black bean curry is very similar to the way you would make Rajma Curry (Red Kidney beans curry) except the peculiar combination of Indian spices that differentiates the two. It is definitely a good alternative to regular version whenever you feel like having Rajma in the Mexican way. 

Serving Suggestions:

Black beans is a very versatile curry.  You can serve black beans with Rice along with side of some onion tomato salsa (salad) for a quick lunch/dinner or use it to make a Chipotle Bowl at home. 

Alternately you can use the dryer version of these beans to make filling for your wraps, enchiladas or quesadilla. These even taste better in salad since they have so much flavor. 

 

 
 
How to make black beans on Stove top: 

• Wash and boil/cook the beans with some salt and water (around 4 cups) in a pressure cooker for 2-3 whistles (may vary based on the quality of beans). If you dont have a pressure cooker, use a large heavy bottomed saucepan and cook the beans with water and salt till they are soft (approximately an hour, again can vary as per beans quality). Test by pressing it with a spoon on one the beans – it should get mashed easily. Drain the beans. You may want to keep this drained water and use later to adjust the gravy consistency.
• Heat oil in a pan, once hot add bay leaves and onion. Saute till onions are translucent
• Add garlic and cook for 2 mins till the raw flavor of garlic disappears. 
• Add red chilli powder,cumin powder, oregano, salt and mix well.
• Now add the beans and stir. Add the water (used for cooking the beans) to adjust the consistency as desired. 
• Mash the beans to get a creamy consistency of the gravy  and add the slit jalapeno
• Simmer on low to medium heat for 15-20 mins. 
• Switch off the heat and squeeze in the lime jucie, add the chopped cilantro and stir to mix. 

How to make Instant pot black beans

• Start Instant Pot on saute mode and add oil to it, once hot add bay leaves, onion, slit jalapeno (optional) and garlic. Saute till onions are translucent
• Switch off the Instant Pot and stir in spices (red chilli powder, cumin powder, oregano, salt) and mix well.
• Add the beans along with 2 cups of water/broth. Close the lid  with vent to sealing and cook on bean/chilli or manual mode for 40 mins.  Allow a natural release. 
• Open the lid and start the pot back on saute mode. Simmer on normal for 10 mins until the gravy thickens slightly to you liking.  
• Switch off the heat and squeeze in the lime jucie, add the chopped cilantro and stir to mix. 

That’s it, our delicious earthy flavored Black Beans Curry is ready!! Garnish with coriander or sour cream and serve hot with Rice. Enjoy!!

Hope you enjoy this Mexican Black Beans recipe as much as we do!! If you give this recipe a try, we did love to hear from you ❤️ Please let us know your rating ⭐️and feedback in the comments below. Thank you!

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Mexican Black Beans

A simple and easy no-soak recipe for homemade Mexican Black Beans using stove top and Instant Pot. It is healthy, protein packed, vegan and gluten free. Serve it as a main with rice or enjoy it as a side or filling for with your favorite Mexican recipes. 

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Main, Side

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: black beans, instantpot, mexican

Servings: 4

Author: Shweta Arora

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

• 1 cup black beans
• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 bay leaves
• 1 and 1/2 tsp red chilli powder or as per taste
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• Salt to taste
• 1 jalapeno slit in half vertically optional and to taste
• handful of finely chopped cilantro
• 1 tbsp Lime juice or to taste

Instructions

Stove top Method:

• Wash and boil/cook the beans with some salt and water (around 3-4 cups) in a pressure cooker for 2-3 whistles (may vary based on the quality of beans). If you dont have a pressure cooker, use a large heavy bottomed saucepan and cook the beans with water and salt till they are soft (approximately an hour, again can vary as per beans quality). Test by pressing it with a spoon on one the beans – it should get mashed easily. Drain the beans. You may want to keep this drained water and use later to adjust the gravy consistency.
• Heat oil in a pan, once hot add bay leaves and onion. Saute till onions are translucent
• Add garlic and cook for 2 mins till the raw flavor of garlic disappears.
• Add red chilli powder,cumin powder, oregano, salt and mix well.
• Now add the beans and stir. Add the water (used for cooking the beans) to adjust the consistency as desired.
• Mash the beans to get a creamy consistency of the gravy and add the slit jalapeno
• Simmer on low to medium heat for 15-20 mins.
• Switch off the heat and squeeze in the lime jucie, add the chopped cilantro and stir to mix.

Instant Pot Method:

• Start Instant Pot on saute mode and add oil to it, once hot add bay leaves, onion, slit jalapeno and garlic. Saute till onions are translucent
• Switch off the Instant Pot and stir in spices (red chilli powder, cumin powder, oregano, salt) and mix well.
• Add the beans along with 2 cups of water/broth. Close the lid with vent to sealing and cook on bean/chilli or manual mode for 40 mins. Allow a natural release.
• Open the lid and start the pot back on saute mode. Simmer on normal for 10 mins until the gravy thickens slightly to you liking.
• Switch off the heat and squeeze in the lime jucie, add the chopped cilantro and stir to mix.
• That’s it, our delicious earthy flavored Black Beans Curry is ready!! Garnish with coriander or sour cream and serve hot with Rice.

Notes

• Dont soak your black beans. While it reduces the cooking time, pre-soaking breaks down the skins and leaves them mushy and dull colored (sort of gray). If you are in a rush, instead try good quality canned black beans (well drained and washed). They are not same but they will with the right seasoning and simmering. 

Tried this recipe?Mention @shwetainthekitchen or tag ##shwetainthekitchen!

Happy Cooking!!
Shweta

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