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Lobio
Georgian red bean stew with coriander, savory and blue fenugreek
Lobio simply means beans, and in Georgia it means this thick, herb-scented stew of red kidney beans, cooked and served in a clay pot (a ketsi or kotani). In Imereti and Racha it is everyday winter food and a mainstay of the Lenten table, eaten with hot mchadi, pickled cabbage or green chillies and a spoon of tkemali. Some of the beans are crushed so the stew turns creamy while the rest stay whole. A common mistake is mashing everything to a purée; crush only about a third. Raw kidney beans must also boil hard for 10 minutes before simmering, or they can make you ill. Chef's tip: stir in the fresh coriander and garlic only at the end, off the heat, so they stay bright and sharp against the soft beans.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
To serve
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Drain the soaked 14 oz dried red kidney beans and put them in a heavy pan with 1 bay leaf and 1.5 litres of fresh water. Bring to the boil and boil hard for 10 minutes, skimming off the foam.
10 minStep 2: Lower the heat, partly cover and simmer for 50–60 minutes, until the beans are completely soft and crush easily against the side of the pan. Top up with hot water if they peek above the liquid.
60 minStep 3: Meanwhile heat 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry 2 onions for 10 minutes, stirring, until soft and golden.
10 minStep 4: Take out the bay leaf. Crush about a third of the beans in the pan with a potato masher so the liquid turns thick and creamy.
Step 5: Stir in the onions, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp blue fenugreek (utskho suneli), 1 tsp dried summer savory, ½ tsp chilli flakes and 1 ½ tsp salt and simmer for 10 minutes more, stirring now and then, until the stew is thick enough to coat a spoon.
10 minStep 6: Take off the heat and stir in 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 3 cloves garlic, ⅞ oz coriander leaves and ⅓ oz flat-leaf parsley. Taste for salt and serve hot in bowls, with pickled green chillies or cabbage and mchadi.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 16 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lobio take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 80 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of ground coriander?
- Coriander seeds, toasted and ground.
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