Venezuelan black beans cooked with peppers, cumin and a splash of panela sugar — the essential companion to pabellón criollo.
Caraotas negras are Venezuela's beloved black beans, cooked until creamy and deeply flavoured with peppers, onion, garlic and a touch of panela (unrefined brown sugar) that creates a characteristic sweet depth. They are one of the four elements of pabellón criollo (Venezuela's national dish) and are eaten daily in Venezuelan homes alongside rice, shredded beef and sweet plantain.
Serves 6
Drain soaked beans. Cover with fresh water and boil 60–70 minutes until completely tender. Reserve cooking liquid.
Heat oil in a pot. Fry onion and pepper until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cumin. Cook 2 minutes.
Add a ladleful of cooked beans to the sofrito and mash them directly in the pan to create a thick paste.
Add remaining beans and enough cooking liquid to reach a thick, creamy consistency. Add sugar and salt.
Simmer uncovered 15 minutes, stirring often, until the beans are creamy and thick. Serve with coriander if desired.
The mashed bean step thickens the pot naturally — don't skip it.
Panela (raw cane sugar) is the traditional sweetener, but brown sugar works well.
The beans should be very tender — hard beans are unpleasant.
Add a splash of rum for a festive version.
Top with queso fresco for a richer finish.
Refrigerate for 5 days or freeze for 3 months. The flavour deepens over time.
Black beans have been central to Venezuelan cooking since pre-Columbian times. The combination of black beans with rice, shredded beef and plantain in pabellón criollo represents Venezuela's cultural mix of indigenous, African and European food traditions.
Yes — 2 cans of black beans, drained. Reduce the final simmering time to 10 minutes as they are already soft.
Per serving · 6 servings total
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