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Porotos con riendas
Bean and squash stew with spaghetti
Porotos con riendas: Santiago's winter bean stew with squash and 'reins' of spaghetti
When the Andes turn white above Santiago, lunch counters in the Mercado Central and home kitchens all over the Central Valley put on a pot of porotos con riendas, dried beans stewed with squash until thick and orange, with broken spaghetti, the 'reins', stirred through at the end. It is served in deep plates with a spoonful of pebre or a tomato salad alongside. Many cooks add longaniza sausage; this version keeps it meat-free and relies on smoky paprika and slow-cooked onion. Adding the pasta too early is the common mistake: it swells, goes soft and drinks all the liquid. Chef's tip: grate a third of the squash so it melts into the beans and thickens the stew, and dice the rest so you still get chunks.
- Total time
- 115 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 14 oz dried white beansor Chilean tórtola beans, soaked overnight
- 1 ⅛ lb squashbutternut or Chilean zapallo, peeled
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 3 garlic clovescrushed
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 5 ½ oz spaghettibroken into 5 cm lengths
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Drain 14 oz dried white beans, put them in a large pot with 2 litres of fresh water and bring to the boil. Skim off the foam, then simmer half-covered until the beans are tender but still whole.
60 minStep 2: Meanwhile, grate a third of 1 ⅛ lb squash and cut the rest into 2 cm cubes.
Step 3: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat and cook 1 onion until soft and golden.
10 minStep 4: Stir in 3 garlic cloves, 2 tsp sweet paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp dried oregano and cook for 1 minute until fragrant; take it off the heat as soon as the paprika darkens, or it turns bitter.
1 minStep 5: Tip the onion mixture and all the squash into the beans with 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Simmer, stirring now and then, until the grated squash has dissolved and the cubes are soft.
20 minStep 6: Add 5 ½ oz spaghetti and cook, stirring often so it doesn't stick, until just tender. Add a little hot water if the stew gets too thick; it should be spoonable, not soupy.
10 minStep 7: Rest for 5 minutes, taste for salt and serve in deep plates.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 66 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 14 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does porotos con riendas take?
- About 115 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 100 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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