Caraotas negras — Venezuelan seasoned black beans — are a cornerstone of the national cuisine. Slow-cooked with sofrito, papelón (raw cane sugar), and spices, they develop a complex, rich flavor that's unlike any other bean preparation. Stuffed inside a golden arepa, caraotas negras make a complete, satisfying vegetarian meal. This is the vegetarian heart of the Pabellón Criollo.
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⏱ COOK DETAILS
🕐 Prep: 10 min
🍳 Cook: 10 min
🍽 Yield: 4 arepas
🌶 Cuisine: Venezuelan
🔥 Calories: ~340
⭐ COMMUNITY RATING
4.7/5
Based on 58 reviews
📋 Ingredients
- 2 cups Harina PAN
- 2½ cups warm water
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ white onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tbsp brown sugar or papelón (raw cane sugar)
- 2 tbsp oil
- Queso blanco for serving
👨🍳 Instructions
- Make the caraotas: Heat oil in a pot. Sauté onion and garlic until soft, 4 minutes. Add tomato and cook 3 minutes. Add black beans, cumin, paprika, sugar, and a pinch of salt.
- Simmer beans 15–20 minutes until the liquid thickens and becomes rich and saucy. Adjust seasoning. The beans should be well-seasoned — more flavor than you'd expect.
- While beans simmer, make arepa dough: Mix Harina PAN, warm water, and salt. Knead 2 minutes.
- Shape 4 arepas and cook in preheated arepa maker 9–10 minutes.
- Open each arepa. Spoon a generous portion of caraotas negras inside.
- Top with crumbled queso blanco and a dollop of sour cream or suero if desired.
💡 Pro tip: The Venezuelan secret to perfect caraotas is the papelón (unrefined cane sugar). A teaspoon at the end balances the earthiness of the beans. If you can't find papelón, brown sugar is an acceptable substitute.
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