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Refried beans are served alone, as a side, or in many dishes such as burritos and enchiladas.

Ingredients:

• Uncooked black beans (about half the volume you want to end up with)
• Garlic cloves
• Onion
• Oil (I use olive, Nicaraguans use cottonseed (which they consider a poor substitute for lard, which is hard to get), you also can use any bland oil like canola or safflower, or you can use none)
• Salt to taste (optional--I never used any for a long time but started again after too many emergency room trips for dehydration. The beans taste fine either way, depending on your tastes)
• Chopped fresh tomato (optional)
• Lime (or lemon) juice (optional)
• Additional seasonings of your choice

I learned this recipe while living in Nicaragua, so it is authentic (the family I lived with even had the same type of pressure cooker I do). I have not changed it at all except where indicated. I recommend using black beans (also known as turtle beans) because this recipe is designed for them and I think they taste the best. But you can experiment with any kind of beans you like or have access to (try Mexican style with Pinto beans or Dominican style with pinkish-white beans (whose name escapes me at the moment)). 

This is an easy recipe, but it does take a lot of time (like baking bread).

Seasonings: Nicaraguans didn't use anything else. You can add hot spices or anything else you like (add at the end and taste the beans first, you may not "need" anything at all. Clean (sort out bad beans and rocks, if any) and wash beans. Cook until soft. I use a pressure cooker; it takes about 2 hours. If you don't have a pressure cooker, soak the beans in cold or room tempurature water overnight and cook in a pot. As they begin to cook is the time to add salt, if you use any, and some whole cloves of garlic (unpeeled is fine). You should end up with extra bean-water.

Prepare a large frying/saute pan or a pot. I recommend non-stick if you have it (especially if you plan not to use oil). Cast iron works as well. You have a choice of refrying all the beans, or just enough for one meal.

Heat oil in the pan and add chopped onion (add more chopped garlic if so desired). Saute onions until slightly brown. (Note: if you don't use any oil, add the onions after you add beans. The onions will have a different flavor.)

Take the pan off the burner for a second, quickly add as many beans as you plan to cook and lots of bean water. If you are impatient (or hungry), cook the soupy beans down once (30-45 minutes). If you want more flavor (and have the time), cook the beans down several times (keep adding bean water or regular water (cold or room tempature)). This process can take several hours. The longer you cook the beans, the sweeter they will be. The texture will be softer and smoother too, so don't do this if you like your beans to have individual personality. Stir regularly.

The last 10 minutes before you finish cooking, add any of the following optional ingredigents: chopped tomato, fresh herbs (i must have cylantro), lime/lemon juice (about one teaspoon per large serving of beans--this adds flavor and helps cut any greasiness).

Serve. These can be a side dish or center piece dish. Serve with rice, tortillas, potatoes/yuca (cassava root), fried eggs (if you eat them), or whatever you like. Store in fridge (I haven't tried freezing) and reheat as often as you like.

Variations: A very common Nicaraguan dish is Gallo pinto. To make it, add cooked rice when you add the beans to the frying pan (about 50-50 or to taste or availability). Cook down once.

If you cook the beans down a lot but keep the final version soupy, you will end up with black bean soup.

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