Where it comes from
Porotos granados is one of Chile's most emblematic summer dishes, a thick stew of fresh cranberry beans, corn and squash — the Indigenous Mapuche trinity — married to Spanish cooking. It is the taste of the southern harvest.
On the plate
Creamy and comforting, the broth thickens with corn and melting squash into something between a stew and a porridge. The fresh beans are soft and earthy, the basil lifts it with a sweet anise note, and a whisper of ají keeps it warm rather than hot.
How it works
Grated corn releases starch that naturally thickens the stew without flour, while squash breaks down to add body and sweetness. Building a paprika-ají sofrito first lays down a deep savory-color base before the vegetables go in.
Variations
Porotos granados con mazamorra (corn-thickened), con pilco (with green beans and corn kernels), with a fried egg on top, or made with dried beans out of season
On the Palate
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓40 min active
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓- 135 min
Shell the fresh cranberry beans and simmer them in water until tender.
- 28 min
Cut the squash into cubes and grate or blend the fresh corn into a rough paste.
- 36 min
In a pot, fry chopped onion until soft, then add paprika and dried ají for a color base (sofrito).
- 45 min
Stir in grated tomato and cook down into a fragrant sauce.
- 53 min
Add the cooked beans, squash cubes and a little of the bean cooking liquid.
- 612 min
Simmer until the squash softens and begins to thicken the stew.
- 78 min
Stir in the corn paste and cook gently until the broth turns creamy.
- 82 min
Season with salt, pepper and fresh basil, and serve warm.
