Easy Vegan Instant Pot "Refried" Beans (Without the "Fried")
One of the advantages of growing up in Los Angeles was having a plethora of good Mexican restaurants within minutes of my home. The best food came from the “Mom & Pop” places.
While the food was good, I can’t say that it was healthy. Many Mexican restaurant dishes are unhealthy because they contain lots of carb-laden ingredients like beans, rice, and tortillas and are often deep fried. Oftentimes lard is used to cook the refried beans. This not only creates unhealthy beans, but then they are not vegan.
I have created vegan, non-fried Mexican pinto beans that give any Mexican restaurant a run for their money. The beans are cooked in the Instant Pot which makes the recipe super easy.
Enjoy these "refried" beans in a burrito or as a dip with some tortilla chips!
ingredients:
1 ½ C flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp fast-acting yeast
⅝ C warm water
1 ½ tsp maple syrup
Avocado oil, or any other neutral tasting oil
Optional: vegan butter, minced garlic
instructions:
Place beans, onion, jalapeño peppers, and garlic in the Instant Pot (IP). Next add the broth, water, salt, black pepper, and cumin powder.
Place cover on IP and make certain it is set to sealing (if your pressure cooker doesn’t seal automatically). Use the bean setting for 45 minutes. (Or high pressure for 45 minutes)
When cooking is complete, allow the IP to release the pressure naturally.
When the pin has dropped, carefully open the lid. Remove about ½ - 1 cup liquid, reserving it. Allow beans to cool somewhat.
Pour the cooked bean mixture along with the remaining liquid into a food processor. Puree till smooth. The beans will be “liquidy” at first. They will solidify with time. Use the reserved liquid to thin the bean mixture upon reheating, if you prefer.
