BAKED BEANS – PRESSURE COOKER METHOD

I had my first try with baked beans at a nearby Peruvian restaurant. This was served with rice, salad, and roasted chicken. The one I had was a little bit spicy and tasted good when mixed with rice. I have been searching for baked beans recipes online and in TV ever since. There are so many versions available for this. The main idea of baked beans is to slow cook the beans with all the spices either in oven or slow cooker or on stove top for about an hour or two, so that the beans build up all the added flavors gradually. The only ingredient that was common in every baked bean recipe was molasses or brown sugar. I came out with my version here using tomato paste instead of ketchup and Xagave instead of molasses. I even added some chili powder to balance the sweetness from the Xagave and I have cooked the beans in a pressure cooker. Pressure cooker also concentrates all the flavors of the beans and we had this as a light dinner along with some baked baguette slices.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Any dried beans like fava beans, navy beans or white beans washed and soaked overnight in water, 2 cups.
2. Onion, medium-size, 1.
3. Garlic, 3 cloves.
4. Tomato paste or tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons.(Ketchup adds even more sweetness to the dish with the Xagave).
5. Xagave, ¼ cup.
6. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon. (optional).
7. A mixture of dry herbs of choice, 1 teaspoon.
8. Salt and pepper as per taste.
9. Vegetable or chicken broth, 1 medium-size can.

PREPARATION:
Dice the onion and garlic finely and sauté them in a pan with a little bit of oil until the onions turn translucent. Add these and the rest of the ingredients to a pressure cooker or pressure pan and mix everything well. There should be just enough broth or water to cover everything. This gives nice thick baked beans; too much of liquids give the baked beans a soupy texture. Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. Once the pressure is released, garnish with chopped cilantro or any other herb and serve with rice, or any type of bread. (Note: I have crushed the beans a little bit with a spatula to give some texture to the beans.)