Recipe: Black Beans in Mango Sauce

Black Beans in Mango Sauce

All you need are a couple of perfectly ripe mangoes, and you're up and running with this quick, exotic dish. To make it into a complete meal, just add some plain steamed broccoli and rice.

Wonderful though they are to eat, mangoes can be difficult to cut up without their turning to mush. The good news here is that in this dish, it doesn't matter, because the mangoes get mashed anyway. So just cut them open, scrape out the flesh, and mince as best you can.

1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups minced red onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
One 3-inch jalapeño chile, seeded and minced
1-1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
About 6 cups cooked black beans (Three-15 ounce cans, rinsed and drained)
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 large ripe mangoes, minced
Freshly gound black pepper to taste
Minced fresh cilantro (optional)
Squeezable wedges of lime

Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add 1-3/4 cups of the onion, and the garlic, chile, ginger, cumin seeds, and salt. Sauté over medium-heat for about 3 minutes.

Turn the heat down to medium-low, and add the black beans and about half the lime juice. Sauté for about 5 more minutes, or until everything has mingled nicely, and the beans are heated through. Mash the beans slightly with the back of the spoon, and transfer to a bowl.

Stir the remaining lime juice and about half of the chopped mangoes directly into the hot beans, mashing the mangoes a little as you stir. Grind in some black pepper, then cover and let stand for about 15 minutes to let the sauce develop.

Serve warm, at room temperature, or even cold, topped with the remaining red onion and mango, and some minced cilantro, if desired. For a finishing touch, tuck a juicy wedge of lime into the side of each serving.

Yield: About 6 servings, depending on what else is served
Preparation time: about 45 minutes (30 minutes of light work)

Recipe from:
Vegetable Heaven
by Mollie Katzen
Hyperion
1998, Hardcover, US $27.50
Illustration art by Mollie Katzen
Recipes & art reprinted by permission