Mix the beans, rice, onion/garlic mixture, and spices together with a potato masher until beans are mostly smashed, but there’s still some texture.
Dust your hands with cornstarch and form mixture into approximately 8 balls. Shape into patties. you may have to re-dust your hands between patties. At this point, you can freeze them in a single layer. These are a great freezer food!
Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Dust black bean patties with a little more cornstarch and sautee on each side until nicely browned.