Sos Pwa Nwa and Mayi Moulen (Black Bean Sauce and Cornmeal)
Sos pwa nwa is a stewy Haitian black bean sauce that combines beans, coconut milk, and aromatics to create a deep velvety dish. Starting with dried, not canned, beans makes a big difference, as canned beans will never achieve that same rich texture. Sos pwa nwa is most often eaten with white rice or mayi moulen, a thick and creamy cornmeal-based dish. It’s similar to polenta but infused with much more flavor thanks to aromatics such as garlic, thyme, and parsley. Included in this recipe is a hack for less labor-intensive cornmeal: Cover it with a lid! This way you won’t have to stir as often. But when you do stir, really put your back into it—mayi moulen is thick and requires some elbow grease to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. The pairing of the sos pwa nwa and mayi moulen is a deeply comforting vegan meal, perfect for cold nights. —Lesley Enston
What you’ll need
Lodge 7.5 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
$100 At Amazon
Immersion Blender
$60 At Amazon
8-Inch Chef's Knife
$67 $48 At Amazon
Colander
$15 At Amazon
Large Saucepan
$75 At Amazon
Measuring Spoons
$10 At Bon Appétit Market
Measuring Cups
$18 At Bon Appétit Market
Cutting Board
$10 At IKEA
Wooden Spoon
$9 At Amazon
Small Skillet
$25 At Amazon
Ladle
$10 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place 1 cup dried black beans (no need to soak) in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Combine black beans, 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, and 5 cups water in a large saucepan or small pot. Bring to boil over high heat and cook 15 minutes.
Step 2
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer beans, checking occasionally and adding more water if needed to keep covered, until tender but not mushy, 1½–2 hours. Squeeze a bean between your fingers to test.
Step 3
Meanwhile, peel and finely chop 1 small onion; set aside for mayi moulen. Thinly slice 3 scallions. Smash 5 garlic cloves with the side of chef’s knife, peel, and finely chop. Remove leaves from 5 sprigs parsley and 4 sprigs thyme and coarsely chop; discard stems.
Step 4
Purée most but not all of the beans in pan with an immersion blender (or, transfer about half of the beans to a regular blender and blend until mostly smooth; mix back into beans in pan).
Step 5
Heat 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a small skillet over medium. Cook scallions and a little less than half of the garlic, stirring often, until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Scrape into beans, then add half of the parsley, half of the thyme, ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk, and 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt. Press 3 whole cloves into 1 Scotch bonnet or habanero chile (this will make them easy to find later!) and add chile to pot; bring bean mixture to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to thicken (but don’t cook so aggressively that chile breaks open), 15–20 minutes. Sos pwa nwa should still be loose enough to spread on a plate. Thin with water if needed. Taste and season with more salt as needed. Carefully fish out and discard chile.
Step 6
Meanwhile, make the mayi moulen: Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium. Cook reserved onion and remaining garlic, stirring often, until starting to turn golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add 4 cups water and bring to a boil.
Step 7
Whisking constantly, gradually sprinkle in 1 cup cornmeal, then add remaining thyme, remaining parsley, and remaining 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until starting to thicken, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cover pot. Cook, stirring vigorously every 5 minutes or so, until cornmeal is velvety smooth and no longer gritty, 18–25 minutes. Taste mayi moulen and season with more salt if needed.
Step 8
Thinly slice 1 avocado. Remove leaves from another 1–2 sprigs parsley and coarsely chop. Mound mayi moulen on plates, then ladle sos pwa nwa next to it, letting it spread. Top with avocado slices and chopped parsley.
