REFRIED BEANS – DIP AND CUTLETS

The inspiration for this recipe is from a Rachel Ray’s show (I saw it long back). I remember her mashing the beans with onions, garlic and spices with the back of a spatula and the serving suggestion was to top it on toasts. I used a 16-bean soup mixture instead of fava beans or black beans as suggested by RR. I made some changes to the original recipe and served it with crackers. The next day I made cutlets from the leftovers. We loved both the dishes. The cutlet tasted even better than the regular cutlets made with potatoes. Both these dishes are ideal low-carb evening snack foods.

FOR THE DIP

Ingredients:

1. Onion, large, 1.
2. Any types of cooked beans, 2 cups.
3. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
4. Salt and pepper as per taste.
5. Chopped cilantro 1 cup.
6. Dried herbs like dill, mint, and basil, a pinch of each.
7. Italian seasoning or any type of seasoning mixture, ¼ teaspoon.

PREPARATION:

Drain the water from the beans and mash it into a smooth paste with the help of a blender or a spatula. Dice the onion finely. Heat a pan with a teaspoon of olive oil. When the oil turns hot, add the diced onions and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are well caramelized. Then add the mashed beans, ginger-garlic paste, dry herbs, seasonings, chopped cilantro, salt, and pepper and mix everything well. Let it cook for 5 minutes under medium flame until it reaches the desired consistency. Serve with any types of breads, chips, or crackers.

Variations: The ginger-garlic paste can be substituted with 2 cloves of crushed garlic. Some finely diced green chilies can also be added for some extra heat.

FOR THE CUTLETS:

Ingredients:

1. Refried beans, 1 cup.
2. Chili powder, ½ teaspoon.
3. Salt as per taste.
4. Whole wheat flour, ½ cup.
5. Whole wheat bread crumbs, 1-1/2 to 2cups.

PREPARATION:

Make small patties out of the refried beans. Take the flour in a small bowl, add ¼ cup water along with the chili powder and salt and make it into a smooth batter. Take the bread crumbs in a plate. Heat a flat bottomed pan with ¼ cup of oil. Create a work station arranging the plate with the patties first, the bowl with the flour batter next, and the bread crumbs plate next to that. When the pan is hot enough, take a patty and immerse it in the flour batter. Then put it on the bread crumbs plate and cover the patty with the bread crumbs and put it on the hot pan. Repeat the same with a few more patties until the pan is covered. There should be some space between the cutlets while cooking to move them around. Let then cook for 5-7 minutes until the side facing the pan is golden-brown and crisp. Flip all the patties to the other side and let them cook for another 5 minutes. Repeat the same with the remaining patties and serve the hot cutlets hot with tomato sauce.