Ancho chilli flakes are made from ancho poblano chillies. They’re known for their fruity, smoky flavour and mild heat. Ancho chillies are one of the most popular Mexican varieties – and often form the base flavour of chilli sauces or a basic mole, along with guajillo chillies. Sprinkle the flakes straight into a sauce, stew or salsa. Or mix with salt, pepper, sugar, and dried herbs to make a Mexican spice rub.
The Mexican-style black beans recipe is a comforting and healthy wintry dish – and it looks wonderful presented on the aqua fantasia bowl!
Mexican-style Black Beans
Serves 4
250g dry black beans
1 diced red pepper
1 diced onion
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
500ml vegetable stock
2tsp/4g ancho chilli flakes
1 tsp sugar
½ a lime
- Pre-heat your oven to 150ºC. In an oven-proof lidded casserole dish, combine black beans, red pepper, onion, tomatoes, cumin seeds, dried oregano, vegetable stock and ancho chilli flakes.
- Cover with a lid and place in the oven to cook for 2 ½ hours, until the beans are soft.
- 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, open the oven and check the dish. If there is a lot of liquid, rest the lid back at an angle when you return it to the oven and leave a 1cm gap to allow extra water to evaporate. Alternatively, if the beans look dry, add a little water and place the lid on tightly.
- When cooked, remove from the oven and taste for seasoning, adding salt if needed.
- Stir in sugar and the juice of ½ a lime. Serve with grated cheese, lime wedges and sour cream.
