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Loubia (white beans in cumin and tomato)
Loubia: white beans stewed in a cumin, paprika and tomato sauce, Morocco's everyday comfort food
Ask in a Marrakech side street where to eat cheaply and you will be pointed to a stall with a vat of loubia: white beans stewed until creamy in a garlicky tomato sauce spiked with cumin, paprika and a little ginger, ladled into a bowl and eaten with bread. At home the same dish is a weekday staple, often cooked with a piece of meat, but the meat-free version here is just as satisfying and is how plenty of families make it. The sauce should be thick and orange with olive oil pooling on top. A sprinkle of cumin and a drizzle of oil at the table are customary. Avoid adding the tomato before the beans are tender; its acid keeps the skins tough however long they simmer. Chef's tip: soak the beans overnight and cook them until tender before the tomato goes in properly; acid stops beans softening, so loubia rushed with tomatoes from the start can stay chalky.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 14 oz dried white beanssoaked overnight in plenty of water; or 3 x 400 g tins, drained
- 6 ¼ cups water
- 1 oniongrated
- 5 garlic clovescrushed
- 5 tbsp olive oildivided
- 2 tsp ground cuminplus extra to serve
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp chilli powder
- 3 ripe tomatoesgrated, skins discarded
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsleychopped
- 3 tbsp coriander leaveschopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain and rinse the soaked 14 oz dried white beans. Put them in a large pot with 6 ¼ cups water, 1 onion, 5 garlic cloves, 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp sweet paprika, ½ tsp ground ginger and ¼ tsp chilli powder.
Step 2: Bring to the boil over a high heat, then turn down, half-cover and simmer until the beans are just tender when you squash one against the side of the pot. Top up with hot water if the level drops below the beans. (With tinned beans, skip to the next step and use 600 ml water.)
50 minStep 3: Stir in 3 ripe tomatoes, 1 tbsp tomato paste and 1 ½ tsp salt. Simmer uncovered, stirring now and then, until the beans are creamy and the sauce has reduced to a thick, glossy gravy with oil on the surface.
20 minStep 4: Stir in 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley and 3 tbsp coriander leaves and simmer for 2 minutes more. Taste for salt.
2 minStep 5: Serve hot in bowls, drizzled with the rest of 2 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of extra cumin, with bread for scooping.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 68 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 22 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does loubia (white beans in cumin and tomato) take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 75 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 onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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