Lobio

The story

Lobio is a Georgian main with a clear sense of place. Lobio simply means beans in Georgian and refers to many preparations, from soupy versions to thick mashed styles served in clay pots. Beans became a major staple after arriving from the Americas. The recipe below keeps the defining ingredients and technique intact while giving practical metric quantities and enough detail for a home cook to judge texture, seasoning and doneness rather than simply follow a timer.

Ingredients

• 400 g dried red kidney beanssoaked overnight
• 180 g onionfinely chopped
• 15 g Garliccrushed
• 40 g fresh corianderchopped
• 1.5 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp blue fenugreek
• 1 tsp dried summer savory
• 30 ml red wine vinegar
• 20 ml neutral oil
• 1.5 tsp fine salt
• 1400 ml waterapproximately

Method

1. Drain the soaked beans, cover with fresh

   Drain the soaked beans, cover with fresh water and bring to a boil. Skim, lower the heat and simmer 75–90 minutes until fully tender; add hot water as needed to keep them barely covered.

   Look for: fully tender; add hot water as needed to keep them barely covered Tip: Reserve bean cooking liquor before draining. Its starch is the best way to control consistency without adding flour. Avoid: Salting very old beans early can prolong cooking; stopping before beans are truly tender leaves a chalky centre; insufficient acid makes the dish dull.

2. Cook the onion in oil in a

   Cook the onion in oil in a separate pan for 10 minutes until soft and golden. Add garlic, ground coriander, blue fenugreek and savory and stir for 30 seconds.

   Look for: soft and golden

3. When the beans are tender, drain off

   When the beans are tender, drain off and reserve about 250 ml cooking liquid. Mash roughly one-third of the beans against the side of the pot to create body while leaving plenty whole.

4. Stir in the onion-spice mixture and enough

   Stir in the onion-spice mixture and enough reserved bean liquid to make a thick spoonable stew. Simmer together for 10 minutes so the seasonings penetrate the beans.

5. Add vinegar and most of the fresh

   Add vinegar and most of the fresh coriander off the heat. Taste for salt and acidity; lobio should be savoury and noticeably tangy, not bland beans with herbs on top.

6. Rest covered for 10 minutes before serving

   Rest covered for 10 minutes before serving. Finish with remaining coriander and serve with mchadi, pickled vegetables or raw onion.

   Look for: Beans crush easily between fingers and the stew holds a spoon track briefly without becoming dry or pasty.

Nutrition

per serving

Estimated from the listed ingredients and default serving size. Actual values vary with brands, trimming, absorption and cooking losses.