Tutu de Feijao, Brazilian Mashed Beans with Collards
Tutu de feijao is a dish of Minas Gerais, the mountainous heart of Brazil, where beans are mashed and thickened into something between a puree and a porridge. The name traces to an old Portuguese word for a mash, and the traditional thickener is farinha de mandioca, the toasted cassava meal that Brazilians scatter over nearly everything. Toasted cornmeal stands in cleanly, a whole grain that swells the same way and brings the same nutty roundness, while keeping the dish rooted in the same toasted-meal tradition. The restaurant plate leans on bacon and sausage, but the beans carry themselves. What matters is the garlic, and plenty of it, cooked slow in water until sweet, plus the collards wilted just enough to stay green. Serve it as a thick, savory side to rice, or eat a bowl of it on its own.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Black beans, cooked from dried, with cooking liquid
- 1 Yellow onion, finely diced
- 5 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1/2 cup Polenta / coarse cornmeal, fine, toasted
- 4 cups Collard greens, stemmed and sliced thin
- 3 Scallions, sliced
- 1/3 cup Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, ground
Method
- Blend the cooked beans with enough of their liquid to make a loose puree. Mashing part of the beans smooth is what gives tutu its body, since the puree is the sauce that the cornmeal will set.
- Toast the cornmeal in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring, until it smells nutty and turns a shade darker, about 4 minutes. Toasting is the whole difference between raw cornmeal that tastes of paste and toasted cornmeal that tastes of roasted corn.
- Sweat the onion, garlic, and bay in 3 tablespoons (45 ml) water in a wide pot until soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes. This garlicky base is the flavor of Minas Gerais, so do not rush it.
- Pour in the bean puree and bring to a gentle simmer. Rain in the toasted cornmeal in a thin stream while stirring hard, the way you would polenta, so it thickens evenly with no lumps.
- Cook, stirring, until the mixture pulls away from the pot in a thick, spoonable mass, about 6 minutes. The cornmeal swells and sets the beans into the loose porridge that defines the dish.
- In a separate pan, wilt the collards with a splash of water over high heat for 3 minutes so they stay green and toothsome. Fold half through the tutu and pile the rest on top with scallions and parsley. Finish with black pepper and pull out the bay leaves.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 180 calories, 9 g protein, 9 g fiber, 30 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
