Venezuelan Caraotas Negras

About This Recipe

Caraotas negras are Venezuela's soul food. These black beans are slow-cooked until creamy, then seasoned with a unique Venezuelan touch of papelón (raw cane sugar) which gives them a subtle sweetness that balances the earthy legumes. They form one of the four pillars of pabellón criollo alongside rice, shredded beef, and sweet plantains.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 2 cupsdried black beans, soaked overnight
• 1 mediumonion, finely chopped
• 4 clovesgarlic, minced
• 1 mediumred bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tbsppapelón (raw cane sugar) or panela
• 1 tspsalt
• 1/2 tspblack pepper
• 2 tbspcilantro, chopped

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the beans

   Drain soaked beans and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 60–75 minutes until beans are very tender and beginning to break down.

2. 2

   Make the sofrito

   Heat oil in a pan. Sauté onion, garlic, and bell pepper until soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Add cumin and cook 1 more minute.

3. 3

   Combine

   Add the sofrito to the cooked beans. Stir in papelón, salt, and pepper. Simmer together for 15 minutes, mashing some beans against the pot to thicken.

4. 4

   Finish

   The beans should be thick and creamy, not soupy. Adjust seasoning. Stir in cilantro and serve.

Variations

• •

  Add a smoked ham hock for depth

• •

  Use in arepas as a filling

• •

  Make a bean soup (sopa de caraotas) by adding more water

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 5 days. Freeze up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions