I tasted this for the first time in Hamburg, Germany. Funny eh? Tasting a Moroccan dish in Germany? But you would know what I am talking about if you have been to that part of the world. There are Turkish joints everywhere, especially the absolutely delicious Doner Kebabs.
On my first day in Hamburg, after I had dropped my luggage at my Airbnb, I went hunting for some food. The closest place next to my host’s house was this little joint serving hearty Arabian cuisine. I looked for the cheapest thing in the menu, not knowing what it was and ordered it. I was served pita bread, some super delicious salad, hummus, this white bean stew or Loubia (we call it the same in India) and some rice. As expected, I stuffed myself crazy.
I remembered about this recently when I was thinking of simple low carb, high protein meals. I use dry white beans which need to be soaked overnight and pressure cooked the next morning.
Ingredients:
250 gms dry white beans/Loubia (soaked overnight and drained)
2 ripe tomatoes (grated)
1 medium onion (grated)
3 cloves of garlic (crushed and chopped. I like garlicky flavour, so feel free to adjust it as per your taste)
1 tsp ginger (grated)
2 tablespoons fresh coriander/cilantro (chopped)
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or red chilli powder
2 teaspoons cumin powder
Salt to taste
Method:
Pressure cook the white beans for 3-4 whistles or till the beans are tender.
Heat a pan, add oil.
Add all the ingredients except the beans and coriander.
Once the spices are cooked out, add the beans and half of the coriander.
Simmer it till the sauce is thickened.
Garnish it with the rest of the coriander.
Note that the beans should be quite saucy at serving time. The beans will continue to absorb liquid as they sit, so allow for this if preparing the beans in advance for later serving.
Tips
White beans can certainly be eaten with a spoon, but they’re also very good scooped up like a dip with crusty bread.
If you want to add lamb or beef, brown the meat (cubed or in 2-inch pieces) in the oil and then proceed with the directions as described.
Refrigerate leftovers once the beans have cooled completely. If necessary, add a little water when reheating and use no more than medium heat to avoid scorching.
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