One of the most common ways of serving frijoles is as frijoles refritos. This means refried beans, which is a strange name as they are only fried once.

You will need:

250 g of red kidney/ pinto/ black beans - whichever are available

1/2 an onion, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic

a pinch of cumin

2 tablespoons of cooking oil

1 whole green chilli, finely chopped

What to do:

Wash the beans carefully, place them in a bowl with plenty of water and leave them to soak overnight.

(1) The next day drain them (you will find that the beans will have swollen in size and there won't be much water left). (2) Place them in a pan, cover them with cold water and add the garlic and cumin. Partially cover and boil for 2-3 hours, regularly topping up the pan with boiling water. You should finish cooking them when the beans are tender and you have a thick soup in the pan. Allow them to cool and then drain them. (3) Place the beans in a food processor and make them into a thick paste. If you do not have a food processor, you can mash them in the pan with a potato masher but this is hard work. (4) Lightly fry the onion and the chilli in the oil and when they are soft (not brown) add the beans. Stir until they are thoroughly mixed and hot. Frijoles keep well in the refrigerator and taste even better when reheated the next day.