Frijoles Con Bolitas de Masa | Beans With Dough Balls {Recipe}

This post post was written in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and Maseca. All opinions are our own.

It’s amazing how a smell can bring back so many memories. The minute a bag of Maseca makes it’s way into my home my mind starts thinking of what to make. It definitely inspires me to cook a traditional meal that I usually only enjoy when I travel to Guatemala or El Salvador. I recently had the opportunity to try Maseca’s new Centroamerica flour mix. I decided to make a traditional pot of beans with bolitas de masa (dough balls). The moment I poured water and salt into the Maseca mix my mind began to travel back to the vacations in Central America that I took with my family as a child. The smell of fresh masa being kneaded by one of my aunts is forever engraved into my memory and immediately makes my mouth water.  All I wanted to do was find a comal, flatten out the dough ball, and enjoy a fresh tortilla. However, I waited for my pot of beans with bolitas de masa to cook.

The end result tastes like beans with a fresh tortilla in a bowl. You can serve it with your favorite toppings like Salvadorian sour cream and fresh cilantro criollo.

Ingredients

Beans

• 2 cups of black or pinto beans
• 1/4 cup of diced onion
• 3 cloves of garlic (whole)
• 1 chile (of choice)
• ½ gallon of water

Dough Balls

• 1 cup of Maseca flour
• 1tbs of olive oil
• ¼ tbs of salt
• ¾ cup of water

Toppings (optional)

• Sour cream (I used Salvadorean sour cream)
• Cilantro (I used cilantro criollo)

Cooking Directions

For Beans

-       Rinse 2 cups of back beans.

-       In a large pot combine 1/2 gallon of water, beans, and 3 cloves of peeled garlic. Bring to a boil.

-       Let the beans boil for about 45 minutes.  Cooking times may vary.

-       After 45 add onion, whole chile, and about 15 dough balls to your pot of beans. Cook for an additional 15 minutes.

-       When your beans are fully cooked serve with fresh cilantro and sour cream.

Note: The beans and dough balls will absorb the water quickly. If beans look too dry add 1 cup of water.

For Dough Balls

- Combine Maseca flour , olive oil, salt and water into a small mixing bowl. Knead until smooth.

- Form small dough balls about the size of bouncy ball. Makes about 30.

For more delicious recipes made with Maseca visit the Maseca website.