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Frejol colado
Frejol colado: Chincha's sweet, glossy black-bean paste with clove, cinnamon and toasted sesame
Chincha, south of Lima, is the heart of Afro-Peruvian culture, and its signature sweet is frejol colado: black beans cooked, pushed through a sieve (colado means strained) and then stirred for a long time with sugar and spices until the paste is dark, glossy and thick enough to stand a spoon in. It is traditionally served in little gourd bowls called potos, sprinkled with toasted sesame, and sold in Chincha's square and at festivals in El Carmen. The taste is deep and molasses-like, with clove and cinnamon, and nobody guesses it's beans. The beans need an overnight soak, which isn't counted in the time. Most people give up stirring too early; under-cooked frejol colado is runny and tastes of beans, so keep going until it pulls away from the pan in one mass. Some cooks add milk; this version is dairy free. Chef's tip: use a wide, heavy pan and a long wooden spoon, and wear an oven glove, because the thick paste spits as it reduces.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
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What you'll need
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Drain 1 ⅛ lb dried black beans, cover with 2.5 litres of fresh water and simmer, partly covered, until completely soft and falling apart when pressed, 60–75 minutes. Top up with hot water if needed.
75 minStep 2: Drain the beans, keeping 250 ml of the cooking liquid. Blend the beans with the liquid until smooth, then push the purée through a fine sieve with a ladle to remove the skins.
Step 3: Put the sieved purée in a wide, heavy pan with 14 oz sugar, 7 oz chancaca, ½ tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and ¼ tsp salt and set it over a medium heat.
Step 4: Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom constantly, as it thickens and darkens. Lower the heat as it gets stiff. It is ready when it is glossy and very thick and pulls away from the pan in one mass, showing the bottom for a few seconds, 45–55 minutes.
55 minStep 5: Brush small bowls or a dish with 2 tbsp vegetable oil and spoon in the paste, smoothing the top.
Step 6: Scatter with 2 tbsp sesame seeds while warm. Serve at room temperature; it keeps covered in the fridge for a week.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 72 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does frejol colado take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 130 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of dried black beans?
- Kidney or pinto beans, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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