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Vegan Refried Beans ( Frijoles Refritos )
******** Warning - Rant runneth over! ***********
About 2 years back, when I first started exploring other cuisines than my own, I happened to visit this family where the wife was a self proclaimed chef with an awesome palate. The diligent husband (bless him) spent 50 minutes eating our ears off praising her unsurpassed skill, talent, exquisite palate and her boundless knowledge of all food items crossing boundaries across the world. We were treated to Mexican cuisine and I like any diligent learner kept asking her questions.
me: How did you prepare this side dish? Its yummy...
her: Oh Usually its more yummy, but I ran out of a crucial ingredient and had to make do with butter.
me: Oh what's that?
her: Lard - its crucial and traditional to this dish
me:(confused) Oh, I thought K told me you guyz were vegetarians?
her: Oh of course we are - we are v particular. We dont even eat eggs!
me:(confused all the more) but but..isn't lard something to do with pig or something?
her: (laughing and giving me motherly looks) Shows you just started cooking - you have a long way to go - But I agree in a new country such confusions are bound to happen.
me:(nodding enthusiastically) Yeah you are right. One more questions - why is this called refried beans?
her: Obviously because its fried twice. I first mash it using butter/lard in a skillet - almost frying right. And then when I mix it with onions and other seasoning, I fry it once more using some more lard/butter.
me:Ohhhh OK gotcha! Its sure a heavy dish! Guess have to hit the gym for 5 hours after this hahaha
her: Yeah - what to do good and tasty foods are always so high in calories!
- 1 cup pinto beans ( or kidney beans/black beans ) or use canned beans
- 1 red onion,chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced (or as per your taste)
- 1 tomato,chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1-2 green pablano chilles/green chillies, sliced thinly (or as per taste)
- salt to taste
- few cilantro sprigs for garnish
Have a favorite recipe?
- Know a family recipe your mom used to make? Or maybe a go to recipe that works everytime? Share it with your fellow foodies!
Just wondering about cooking the beans in a pressure cooker… I love my pressure cooker, but beans I have never tried! How long? Vigorous rocking, gentle rock… how much water? (My pressure cooker is older than I am… Aluminum Presto with twist-lock lid and rocker, no new-fangled gauges for me!)
Thanks!
made it ! Yummy n delicious !!! wow no masalas !!!
I made this today, and hubby loved it – it was a huge hit at home and with me being pregnant right now ( it is one of the tastiest dishes I have had because I have been throwing up most of what I eat..) I just wanted to thank you for giving us a healthy but creamy dish. I made it for breakfast and served it with bread toast
we finished all of the beans .. thank you so much!
Looks great! I am new to cooking and am always at a loss for ideas, love your site…
Just made this dish, and I am never eating out at a Mexican restaurant again! With a Spanish brown rice inside a tortilla… Heaven! X) Healthy without all sorts of added oils or fats, and so fresh! Filled me up, quick, and inexpensive (especially considering the nutrition + easy/speed!!!). I look forward to the leftovers and making it again!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!!
PS. ‘Manteca’ by itself can mean lard, margarine, vegetable shortning, or even butter, depending on dialect. So don’t freak if the waiter says the restaurant uses manteca…make sure it’s manteca de cerdo, which is specifically lard. Chances are good they are using a vegetable-base manteca unless you’re in a really old-style restaurant.
Jes – You made my day, with your kind words about the site and that information I have been dying to get my hands on! I wil surely make sure its not manteca de cerdo! Its a boon to know! Thanks a million
–DK
1) I simply love this site. You people have real clinary genius. Blessings! 2) I grew up eating Mexican food, so I’d like to contribute my two cents. Almost all chiles except jalapenos (but definitely poblanos) taste better and are easier to eat if you grill or bake them to blister the skin, and then remove the skin. Refried beans should have soft bits of chile–if you don’t peel the chiles, you’re likely to get chewier, tougher bits than ideal. 3) That badam ka hlwa recipe should be illegal. It’s that good.
We’re from California and love refried beans, but you’re right, in authentic Mexican restaurants, lard is omnipresent. You have to ask the waiter if they use manteca de cerdo (pig fat) because sometimes the waiter’s English doesn’t include the word “lard”! Thanks for the recipe!
Oh thanks for THE word to ask Jenney! I am like super paranoid and until now the waiters have been enthusiastically nodding their heads in negative when I asked for lard. Hopefully they understood what exactly I was asking! Next time I am not taking chances…I am repeating manteca de cerdo in my head now
Hello.. i am a regular reader of your blog but never posted a comment before. I tried yesterday the refreied beans recipe and it was amazing and so quick. I usually work late and hectic hours and am in constant search of quick home made recipes that are satisfying. This recipe just hit the mark and will be a regular in my monthly menu . Thanks a lot for making the recipe so easy and quick.
Hi Ashi, thank you and am glad you found the recipe helpful. I am also always on the lookout to make quick and easy recipes due to hectic schedule. You can find more here – http://chefinyou.com/category/under-15-min/. You might like few others which can catch your fancy and tastebuds
— DK
I do this but use peanut (groundnut) oil, which I think gives it more of the authentic flavor I grew up with (south Texas).
I just made this and it was great! I love refried beans and I always used to feel so guilty about eating them. Thanks so much : )
Thanks Katie – I am glad you liked it.
I totally agree with you, good and tasty food need not be calorie rich! I have the same experience too with people claiming to know everything and misleading.
Good piece of info about the lard. will keep that in mind:)
Hi! that’s an entertaining post and a very well explained recipe.
Lardy-duh! (Such a natural pun, couldn’t resist it.)
ROFL!!!
I once made a similar dish with rajma but didnt mash them completely, never knew mexican dishes are so easy, this will go so well with!
Thats a delicious and protein packed dip..suits prefectly for Indian rotis and mexican tortillas na!!
HAHAHA,Love the post.I too was told and had seen in few sites that refried is twice fried.What you said about lard is true and I too used to ask for vegetarian/vegan beans in Mexican rstnts.
Entertaining rant.
and nice photos..
Yesterday night i made something similar to this as side dish for roti which means i have unknowingly made a mexican dish.:-)
Loved the recipe!! Looks yummy!!
I have been preparing a recipe exactly the same with red beans but a little watery..I just made up this recipe and when people asked me what it is called,I usually say Red bean gravy but now I can claim I have been cooking Mexican hihihi!!!
- See now thats what I call as hidden and raw talent
The mexican gods must have blessed you(!!) 
– DK
Next time I go into a Mexican restaurant, I will have ask them first about lard.
I do agree with you that Good and Yummy Food need not be calorie rich but they do taste even better when done so.
non egg eating vegetarians frying beans twice in lard:-D.. some expert! well your non lard version looks fantastic.. we always take the regular beans & sometimes they just make the regular ones or whatever kind.. .lard free if possible.
You are so right Dhivya..tasty food does not have to be high in calories…