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Tsaramaso
White beans with pork
Tsaramaso sy henakisoa: Malagasy white beans slow-stewed with pork, tomato and onion
Sunday lunch in a Highland family home often means a big pot of tsaramaso sy henakisoa, white beans stewed slowly with pork until the beans are creamy and the meat falls apart, ladled over a mound of plain rice. Pork belly or shoulder is browned first so its fat flavours the whole pot, then onion, tomato, garlic and ginger cook down into a thick, savoury, gently sweet sauce that the beans soak up. A spoon of sakay and a tangle of lasary achards on the side cut the richness. Adding salt or tomato before the beans are tender is the mistake that keeps them hard, so season only once they crush easily. The pork should reach at least 71 °C, though by the end it will be far past that and spoon-tender. Chef's tip: soak the beans overnight and simmer them separately first; it keeps the stew from burning while the beans take their time.
- Total time
- 140 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the beans
- 14 oz dried white beans (haricot or cannellini)soaked overnight in plenty of cold water
- 8 ¼ cups waterfor simmering the beans
For the pork stew
- 1 ½ lb boneless pork belly or shoulderskin removed, cut into 3 cm cubes
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 onionschopped
- 4 garlic clovescrushed
- ⅞ oz fresh gingerfinely grated
- 4 tomatoeschopped
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Drain the soaked 14 oz dried white beans (haricot or cannellini), put them in a large pot with 8 ¼ cups water and bring to the boil. Boil hard for 10 minutes, skimming off any foam.
10 minStep 2: Turn down to a gentle simmer and cook, partly covered, until the beans are tender and creamy inside. Leave them in their liquid.
50 minStep 3: Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy casserole over a medium-high heat and brown 1 ½ lb boneless pork belly or shoulder in two batches, turning, until golden on all sides and plenty of fat has run out.
12 minStep 4: Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons of fat, turn the heat to medium and fry 2 onions until soft and golden.
7 minStep 5: Stir in 4 garlic cloves and ⅞ oz fresh ginger and cook for 1 minute, then add 4 tomatoes and cook until they break down and the oil starts to pool at the edges.
8 minStep 6: Return the pork, add 300 ml of the bean cooking liquid, cover and simmer gently until the pork is very tender.
40 minStep 7: Check that a bean crushes easily against the side of the pot, then tip the drained beans into the pork with enough of their liquid to make a thick, spoonable stew. Add 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp ground black pepper.
Step 8: Simmer uncovered, stirring now and then, until the sauce thickens and some beans have broken down. The pork must be at least 160°F in the centre and pull apart with a spoon.
15 minStep 9: Taste for salt and serve over rice with sakay and lasary on the side.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 14 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tsaramaso take?
- About 140 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 120 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- 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 garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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