Chocolate Beans

This might sound crazy but it is a wonderful dish, quick, cheap, delicious and healthy. You can make more of a meal of it with a pot of guacamole, salsa and some grated cheese if you like. I love to mop up the sauce with brown rice or flour tortillas.  The idea came from a similar dish when I was on holiday a few years back, in a little vegi café in Berkley, they served it with a big pile of brown rice, fresh tomato salsa, guacamole and some tortilla chips stuck into the top. My preference is for pinto or borlotti beans as they are fat and creamy.  

1 tin beans (black-eyed, pinto, borlotti or black beans)

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon mixed herbs or oregano

¼ teaspoon chilli powder

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons tomato puree

1 pint stock*

Olive oil

1 level tablespoon cocoa powder

To serve – sour cream or natural yoghurt.

1. Drain and rinse beans

2. Warm garlic in oil until it starts to sizzle slightly

3. Add cumin, paprika, cocoa, chilli and mixed herbs/oregano and mix well

4. Add beans to pan and mix well. Stir over a medium heat for one minute

5. Add tomato puree and crumbled stock cube, mix well

6. Add water and season with salt and pepper

7. Simmer for 20 minutes over a medium heat till liquid has reduced and you have a thick sauce.

Top with a spoonful of sour cream or yoghurt and serve with flour tortillas or brown rice.

* You can use stock that you have made yourself or make it up with a stock cube or bouillon powder