You don’t expect me not to feature at least one Brazilian classic. How much more Brazilian can you get than black beans that are uniquely South American but similar to pinto beans. A staple in my mother’s kitchen, it accompanies anything, rice, potatoes, fish, meat, chicken, you get the picture. My family absolutely love it, as it is a weekly feature in our home. What a result, protein and fiber packed in a tasty dish.

Serves 5 | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

360g black beans
1 liter of water
2 garlic glove
2 tsp cumin
3 tbsp very light olive oil for cooking
Salt & pepper

Soak the beans overnight. Rinse the beans and place in a deep pot or a pressure cooker. If using a pressure cooker, cook for 25 minutes after the pressure starts to steam through. If in a normal pot, allow for about 50 minutes cooking time or until the beans are just cooked and the jus has taken on a slightly creamy texture.

In a shallow pan add the olive oil and sauté on a medium heat. Then add the garlic, salt and pepper and allow to cook until they taken on a golden colour ensure you don’t burn them.

Add the mixture to the beans, mix well and cook for another 10 minutes in a low heat.

Serve with brown rice or quinoa and a fresh chopped tomato salsa.