Spicy mixed bean stew

4 cups mixed, dried beans (of different colours to make it look more
interesting) rinsed and soaked overnight in 8 cups of water
4 carrots
2 sticks celery
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp or so each of crumbled dried sage, marjoram, oregano
1 large onion, sliced thinly
3-4 Jalapeno peppers in adobo (to give a smoky taste)
2 bay leaves
salt to taste
1 pint homemade tomato sauce
3-4 tblspoons olive oil
1/2 cup water
1 cup sweet corn kernels
1 tsp tamarind paste
1 tblspoon cocoa powder
1 tblspoon sugar

Bring beans to a boil in soaking water with bay leaves, and then turn onto lowest possible heat. Cook very slowly, covered, for at least one hour.

Meanwhile, cook onion over low heat for 20 minutes, add diced celery, cook for a few more minutes. Add minced garlic, cumin, sage, marjoram and oregano and cook for a few more minutes. Add chiles and cook a bit more. Add water, and heat until water is hot. Add mixture to beans.

Chop carrots into pieces roughly as small as the beans, and add to the mixture. Add sweet corn.

Cook the whole lot for roughly another hour and the water level has dropped to the level of the beans.

Add tomato sauce, cocoa powder, tamarind, and salt as necessary and cook for further 20 minutes or so.

Adapted from Soup - Spicy Mixed Bean - thanks!