South American Menestra Recipe
Traditional Ecuadorian Saucy Lentils, Red Beans, or Garbanzo Dish
Aug 27, 2008
Although originally from the Ecuadorian province of Manabi, menestra has spread throughout this South American country and become a national dish. It can be made with lentils, garbanzos (chickpeas), or red beans, with lentils being perhaps the most popular of the three choices. The term menestra actually refers to the bean portion of the dish, though it has come to represent the entire dish itself: beans cooked up in a red sauce, grilled meat (beef, chicken, or fish), rice and sweet fried plantain.
Traditionally, menestra is made with only the freshest of ingredients, and, like most Ecuadorian cooking, is generally made from scratch with a refrito (blended tomato, green pepper and onion).
Traditional Menestra Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g cooked beans (red beans, garbanzos, or lentil) (reserve cooking liquid)
- 1 large tomato
- 1 medium green pepper
- 1 medium red onion
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 Tbs cilantro
- 1 Tbs garlic, pressed
- salt and cumin to taste
Directions
- To make the refrito, chop the tomato, green pepper, onion and garlic into quarters and put into a blender. Add just enough broth to blend. Blend for about a minute. Season with salt and cumin.
- Strain the tomato mixture with a fine mesh strainer, reserving the liquid. Put the liquid into a large saucepan and add the legumes. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes. If more liquid is needed, add the water the legumes were cooked in as needed.
- Just before serving add the cilantro. Serve with grilled meat (chicken, fish, or beef), rice, and sweet fried plantains.
American-Style Menestra
For cooks pressed with time, some substitutions can be made to get menestra on the table in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 250 g cans of beans (red, garbanzos, or pre-cooked lentils) (reserve liquid)
- 4 Tbs tomato paste
- 1 can chicken broth
- 1 Tbs dried, minced onion
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 2 Tbs cilantro, chopped
- salt and cumin to taste
Directions
- Make the refrito by mixing the tomato paste, chicken broth, onion and garlic paste. Put into a saucepan and add the canned beans. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the flavors are blended. If more liquid is needed, add the liquid from the canned legumes.
- Season with salt and cumin. Before serving, sprinkle with fresh cilantro.
Cooking the Legumes Quickly (Traditional Recipe)
If using the traditional recipe, the legumes must be cooked before the menestra can be made. Using a pressure cooker can make this easier. Rinse the legumes and soak them in water overnight. The next day, place them in a pressure cooker and cover them with about 2 inches water. Close and seal the pressure cooker and then place it over medium-high heat. At the first whistle, let the beans or lentils cook another 10-15 minutes. Remember to make sure that all of the steam has been released before opening the pressure cooker.
