Dominican · side

Habichuelas Guisadas (Stewed Red Beans)

Habichuelas Guisadas (Stewed Red Beans) reads allium 4.6, richness 4.2 and herbaceous 3.8 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Dominican side, about 1 hr 55 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.0 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.6 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.3 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.0 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 4.4 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.1 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Allium 4.6 · Richness 4.2 · Herbaceous 3.8 · Salinity 3.7 · Umami 3.5 · Sweetness 3.1 · Sourness 2.2 · Earthy 1.8 · Warm Spice 1.8 · Fruity 1.6 · Bitterness 1.1 · Floral 0.9 · Nutty 0.8 · Heat 0.7 · Citrus 0.5

What's in it (14)

• red kidney beans — 500 g
• water — 1500 g
• oil — 41 g
• red onion — 150 g
• ají cubanela pepper — 100 g
• garlic — 24 g
• tomato paste — 60 g
• sofrito — 90 g
• dried leaf oregano — 1 g
• bay leaf — 1 g
• calabaza — 150 g
• salt — 10 g
• freshly ground black pepper — 5 g
• cilantro — 15 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 55 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 87.4 kcal, 4.6 g protein, 2 g fat, 13.4 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. These beans are one third of la bandera dominicana, the Dominican flag — white rice, stewed beans and stewed meat on one plate, eaten at midday almost every day of the week. The beans are not a side dish in the American sense; they are poured over the rice and they need to be loose enough to do that.
2. Drain the soaked beans, cover with the fresh water, and boil for about 75 minutes until tender but not collapsed. Keep the cooking liquid — it is the sauce.
3. In a separate pan, cook the onion, ají cubanela and garlic in the oil over medium heat for 7 minutes until soft. Ají cubanela is a pale green frying pepper with almost no heat, sold at Caribbean groceries; a green bell pepper is thinner-tasting but is the nearest thing.
4. Add the tomato paste and fry it 4 minutes until it darkens from orange to brick red and the oil takes on colour.
5. Stir in the sofrito, oregano and bay leaves and cook 2 minutes.
6. Tip this base into the beans with their liquid, add the diced auyama, and simmer 25 minutes over low heat.
7. Crush the softened pumpkin against the side of the pot, about 2 minutes. This is what thickens the sauce — Dominican cooks do not use flour or cornstarch here.
8. Season with the salt and black pepper, scatter the cilantro over, and serve poured over white rice.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Frango com Quiabo — Brazilian
• Gemista (Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers) — Greek
• Chicken Jalfrezi with Peppers and Onions — Indian
• Githeri (Maize and Bean Stew) — Kenyan
• Soupe au Pistou — French · Provence

Keep reading: what allium, richness, herbaceous mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.