Instant pot Colombian beans

Name: Instant pot Colombian beans
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h 55 min
Cuisine: Latin American, American
Ingredients: 1 lb dried cranberry pinto or red beans; Half a tablespoon of olive oil; One small onion chopped; Three medium scallions chopped; Five garlic cloves crushed and put through a garlic press; 2 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon achiote or annatto powder; Quarter teaspoon garlic powder; Quarter teaspoon turmeric; Two medium tomatoes chopped; One smoked ham hock; Quarter cup finely chopped fresh cilantro; One bay leaf; One medium yellow plantain cut into a quarter inch dice; One sprig of fresh thyme

10 steps

Prep:25minCook:3h 30min

Columbian style beans is the meal I remember my mom cooking the most when I was a kid. I never really liked beans growing up, but that changed on one of my adult trips to Columbia. I was generously offered rice and beans with avocado on the side for lunch at every home I visited. Different regions of the country make the beans and unique ways. In Bogota where my mom is from, they use ripe yellow plantains which sweetened the beans and serve it with chicharron. When I make a big pot of beans in my instant pot, I like to use the smoked ham hock for smokey flavor but if you want to make the beans vegetarian you can leave it out. To make this meal serve the beans over white or brown rice with avocado on the side. Leftovers can be filling for pupusas or bean and turkey tostadas.

Updated at: Wed, 16 Aug 2023 17:02:33 GMT

Nutrition balance score

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Ingredients

18 servings

1 lbdried cranberry pinto beans

or red

½ tablespoonolive oil

crushed and put through a garlic press

2 tspkosher salt

1 tspground cumin

½ teaspoonachiote

or annatto powder

0.25 er teaspoongarlic powder

¼ teaspoonturmeric

2tomatoes

medium, chopped

1smoked ham hock

¼ cupfresh cilantro

finely chopped

1bay leaf

1yellow plantain

medium, cut into a quarter inch dice

1 sprigfresh thyme

Instructions

Step 1

Rinse the beans and put them in a medium bowl. Cover with water by 2 in and let soak for at least 8 hours or as long as overnight. Drain and discard the water

Step 2

Is that your instant pot or electric pressure cooker to the saute setting when hot add the oil scallion onions garlic one teaspoon salt cumin achiote garlic powder and turmeric

Step 3

Cook for two to three minutes until soft then add tomatoes and cilantro and cook another two to three minutes until soft transfer to a bowl and set aside

Step 4

At the beans to the instant pot with six cups water then add the ham hock bay leaf thyme and remaining one teaspoon salt

Step 5

Cover and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes. Let the beans naturally release uncover remove the ham hocks and let cool. Remove the bay leaf and thyme stem and discard.

Step 6

Set the instant pot to the saute setting. Had the plantain and tomato mixture to the beans and let it boil stirring frequently to prevent burning 20 to 25 minutes until the plantains are tender in the beans are thickened to your liking.

Step 7

Once the ham hocks have cooled remove the meat from the bones and add it back to the beans discard the bones and skin.

Step 8

Serve a half a cup of beans with a side of white or brown rice avocado and hot sauce.

Step 9

Freeze and serve later by letting the beans cool to room temperature then transfer to a freezer safe container. To reheat microwave the beans from frozen or thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Step 10

To cook without an instant pot add 1/4 cup more water and cook covered on low heat for 2 hours then uncover and cook as directed.