Making Refried beans?
Posted by GFVegmom on Jun 22, 2009 · Member since Sep 2008 · 565 posts
Ok, so I love them, and have a ton of dried pintos I wish to cook up, but in the past when I've tried to make them, they taste very bland. Any ideas on how to make them, I have got them cooked, now what? I love the taste of the veg refried canned beans, but it has to be cheaper to make them, and healthier? I checked the recipe list and that was no help, the recipes call for a can of refried beans, and I need to figure out how to make them first?
Don't you just smash them up, add some salt, and maybe a bit of water, and then....fry them around in a pan? I dunno. That's what I would do? Oh, some oil. Maybe some oil? You could always add seasoning (cumin, cayenne, pepper), if you wanted them spiced.
That's kind of what I tried, and the flavor was soooo bland, I was like, great, now what do I do with a bunch of tasteless beans? i don't know, maybe I needed to add more of something?
Well....this is what I do:
Upon soaking, I add chili flakes, dehydrated onion and garlic slices
When cooking, I add more of these
Mashing, I add Spike, Sriracha/Tapatio, garlic powder and onion salt to taste
If you don't like spicy, I've found adding sauteed garlic, onion and bell pepper (green) to the premashed beans also imparts a good flavor.
Originally I think they're supposed to be a bit bland, as a foil to the toppings you add to say a burrito or whatever: the shredded lettuce, salsa, etc. I recommend a generous dollop of harissa or hot salsa.
I would add lashings of garlic salt etc. in the mashing-and-frying step.
I cook mine with a generous amount of dried peppers. If they're still bland when I mash/refry them, I add nutritional yeast and a little hot sauce.
I always put a whole head of freshly roasted garlic in the mix, but I do love garlic.
Otherwise, as above: chilli flakes/chopped dried chillies/harissa - as much spicy as you can handle.
The can of refried beans in my pantry has salt, onion powder and garlic powder in it.
I saute some minced garlic in a large frying pan and throw the beans in. I add some onion powder (you could saute onions with the garlic and do that instead, but I don't like pieces of onion in my refried beans) and a dash, maybe 1/8 to 1/4 of a teaspoon of chili powder. I cook the beans until they are soft enough to mash up with a spoon, then fry 'em for a bit longer. Salt and pepper to taste, of course.
There is a great Mexican restaurant in my area with vegetarian refried beans, and the cook was kind enough to tell me what he uses in their beans. They are *scrumptious*.
I definitely prefer smooth RF beans, so I think I am going to try some dried onion and garlic powder and grind up a chile or two to add, and blend them in the food processor before frying them. Yummy, can't wait to eat them.
If it's bland, you're not adding enough salt. Beans really sore when thoroughly salted. Also, cook them with onion and garlic! I usually halve an onion, and toss in a couple whole, peeled garlic cloves. They really do wonders for the end result
I soak my beans (pinto or black) overnight, then drain, put in a pressure cooker with diced onion, crushed garlic, chiles (preferably a chopped up chipotle or 2), ground cumin and enough water to cover. When it's done, I add some oil and mash with a potato masher, add salt to taste (it takes a lot!) and let it sit for a while for the extra water to evaporate/get absorbed. I skip the frying step, because they taste great as they are.
The onion and garlic get really soft when they're cooked with the beans, so they mash up easily and don't affect the texture, but then again I prefer the beans a bit chunky. You could always blend them instead of mashing for a smoother texture.