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Lobio with red beans in Georgian style
Lobio is a traditional dish of Georgian cuisine that is characterized by its wonderful taste and richness. This appetizer is perfect as a side dish, but can also be a standalone dish. The base of lobio is most often red beans, but other types of legumes can also be used, and even green beans. It is not recommended to use white beans. In this dish, walnuts can be added if desired; the mandatory components are spicy seasonings and aromatic herbs.
Red beans can also be used to make a salad with beans and Korean-style carrots, which will be a wonderful addition to lobio with red beans in Georgian style at a family dinner or festive event.
Preparation time: 50 minutes + cooking the beans.
Ingredients
Show ingredients
- red beans – 200 g (1 cup);
- carrot - 1 pc. (medium);
- onion – 1 pc. (medium);
- walnuts – 100 g;
- cilantro – 1 bunch;
- dill – 1 bunch (optional);
- green onion – 1 bunch (optional);
- garlic – 3-5 cloves (to taste).
Spices:
- khmeli suneli – 1 tsp;
- paprika – 1 tsp;
- cilantro (crushed seeds) – 1 tsp;
- chili pepper - 1/3 tsp;
- tomato paste – 2 tbsp;
- salt – to taste;
- apple cider vinegar – 2 tbsp;
- vegetable oil – for frying.
Preparation
- Lobio with red beans in Georgian style is prepared quickly; the additional time is taken by boiling the beans themselves. Since beans take a long time to cook, they should be prepared separately and in advance. First, the beans should be soaked in cold water; it is better to do this overnight.
- Before boiling, drain the water in which the beans were soaked and rinse the legumes under running water. Pour clean water into a pot and add the beans. The water should cover the product by one centimeter. Bring the beans to a boil, then drain the water; this is necessary to avoid stomach issues. Again, pour clean water into the pot and add the beans; this time cook the legumes until done, which will take about an hour. The beans are considered ready when they become soft when pressed.
- Drain the beans in a colander and let the water drain off.
- Mash one third or half of the cooked beans with a pestle. The beans should be crushed so that there are small pieces remaining.
- Do not pour out the water in which the beans were boiled; a couple of ladles of liquid will still be needed. The beans are ready, and you can start preparing lobio with red beans in Georgian style.
- Prepare the vegetables; cilantro is mandatory while dill and green onion are optional. A few cloves of garlic will be needed, to taste. Peeled walnuts.
- Dice the carrot and onion, chop the walnuts finely with a knife. Chop the garlic and herbs randomly.
- Prepare the spices according to the list. You will also need vegetable oil for frying, apple cider vinegar, and tomato paste.
- Pour vegetable oil into a saucepan, heat it up. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrots, sauté for about three minutes, and then add the chopped onion.
- When the carrots and onions have softened, add the tomato and the liquid in which the beans were boiled to the saucepan. Mix well and simmer for another two to three minutes.
- After the tomato has stewed, add the beans to the saucepan. Stir. Since the beans are already cooked, they can be stewed for two minutes just to combine with the other ingredients.
- Next, add the crushed walnuts and garlic to the saucepan, mix everything. If the mixture is too thick, add another hundred milliliters of liquid. Pour in the apple cider vinegar and salt the dish to taste.
- Add the prepared herbs, and mix. Leave some herbs for garnishing the finished dish.
- In a separate bowl, pour in all the spices, mix well, and send them to the saucepan. After adding the spices, the dish became incredibly fragrant.
- We place the red bean lobio in a deep plate, garnish with herbs, and serve it to the table.
Lobio with nuts can be served during Lent – it is delicious and filling.
