Quelites con Frijoles

To see how quelites can be elaborated, we share the following Veracruz, Mexico recipe adapted from the 1996 Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen.  Here the humble quelite is combined with black beans and corn-cheese dumplings in a chili-rich adobo to make one of the most extraordinary vegetarian dishes that you’ll likely run across from the Mexican tradition.

1 pound dry black beans
1 can of chipotle chili in adobo sauce
1½ ounces dry ancho (pasilla) chili, stemmed and seeded
6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
½ small onion, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup fresh masa dough (or ¾ cup masa harina mixed with 2/3 cup hot water)
1 scant tablespoon salt
¾ cup cilantro, chopped
6 ounces queso fresco (fresh Mexican farmer's cheese), crumbled
6 cups stemmed, coarsely chopped amaranth (or any other) greens

Pick over beans and remove any stones, dirt clods, or other impurities.  Place in a deep pot and cover with 2 quarts of water.  Let soak for at least 6 hours.  Drain soaking water.  Cover the beans with enough fresh water to submerge them by ½ inch and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 1 hour.

While beans are cooking, heat an ungreased griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat.  Toast the dry ancho (pasilla) chilies, pressing them into the cooking surface and turning regularly until they soften and become aromatic.  Cover roasted chilies in hot water and let soak until completely rehydrated, about 30 minutes.  Drain and place in a blender or food processor with the chipotles in adobo, garlic, onion, and ½ cup of water.  Puree until smooth.  Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add in the chile/garlic/onion puree and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes.

Now make the dumplings by kneading together masa dough with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ cup chopped cilantro, and crumbled cheese.  Form into 1-2 in balls.  Cover and set aside.

When the beans are cooked, adjust the water level to make sure the broth has the thickness of a light sauce.  If there is not enough water, add more.  If there is too much, remove some cooked beans from the pot, puree until smooth, and return to the pot.  Liberally season with salt – usually 2 teaspoons or so will more than suffice.  Increase the burner temperature to medium, and bring the beans to a vigorous simmer.  Add in the dumplings one at a time, stirring gently to make sure they do not fall apart.  Cook for 5 minutes, and then add in the chopped greens.  Continue simmering until the greens are fully cooked, about 10 minutes.  

These are wonderful served with fresh corn tortillas or over rice.  They also are wonderful combined with the Savory Amaranth Topping to make an extraordinary batch of vegetarian nachos.

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