Pilaki / Haricot Bean Stew

Pilaki is a style of Turkish meze and may refer to several dishes that are cooked in a sauce made out of onion, garlic, carrot, potato, tomato or tomato paste, sugar, and olive oil. Beans prepared in this style (fasulye pilaki, with white beans / haricot beans /pearl beans / navy beans  or barbunya pilaki, with borlotti beans) are served cold, garnished with parsley and slices of lemon.

Ingredients:   

• 500 g dried haricot beans / frozen / canned
• 1 large onion
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 3 red banana peppers
• 1 potato
• 2-3 carrots
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup  olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 sugar cubes
• a pinch of cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 cups hot water

To Garnish:

• Parsley, lemon

How To:

Soak dried beans in plenty of fresh water overnight. Drain and put them in a pressure cooker or pan and boil until soft but not mashed. Drain and wash again with boiling water and set aside. (İf using canned or frozen just drain.) Chop the onions in thin rings. Shell the garlic cloves. Peel and chop the potato, carrots and pepper.

In a large pot put the olive oil and heat, dump the sliced onions and whole garlic cloves and saute until they are soft, translucent and reduced. Add chopped carrots, potato and peppers. Add sugar cubes, stir and cook for about 10 minutes.  Add the beans and stir a couple times. Add the pureed tomatoes, tomato paste, lemon juice stir and mix. Add cinnamon, salt and pepper and 2 cups hot water.

Cover the lid and reduce the heat to low, checking for water from time to time. If needed add hot water. Cook until much of the water is reduced and the beans and carrots are tender. (15 minutes) Turn off the heat when the beans are soft but firm and let the pan cool down. Transfer to  a  serving plate after it cools and garnish with parsley leaves and lemon wedges.

Bon Apetit!

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