Black Beans Charros with Cornbread

Finally! We made this last Thursday for some friends, and I am just now finding time to post about it. As I said, this recipe is from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian cookbook. It is so easy and really succulent. The book is wonderful, because it gives specific directions on preparing every kind of bean and grain, as well as lots of great recipes.

Black Beans Charros

1 1/4 cup dried black beans, cooked until tender
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 T canola oil
5 T finely chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
6 canned plum tomatoes, finely chopped, plus 1/4 cup of their liquid
1/2 to 1 jalepeno chile, very finely chopped
2 T chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic, stirring and sauteeing until golden. Add the chopped tomatoes and their liquid and the jalepeno, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook gently for 10 minutes. Stir the tomato mixture and the chopped cilantro into the beans, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Simmer gently for 5 minutes and serve hot.

I served it with diced tomatoes, tofu sour cream, and guacamole to put on top. I also made cornbread to go with it.