Lobov pashet

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 300 g beans, dried runner beans
• 150 g walnuts, chopped
• 100 g cornelian cherries, dried, alternatively lemon juice
• 1 onion(s)
• 1 bunch of coriander leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 10 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 12 hours 30 minutes

Armenian bean and walnut balls as a vegetarian starter

Soak the runner beans (or other varieties) overnight and cook them the next day in plenty of salted water with the bay leaves until completely soft. Drain and mash finely. Reserving the cooking water. Finely chop the soaked cornelian cherries, onion, walnuts, and coriander and mix well with the bean paste. Season with salt and pepper and let it cool in the refrigerator. The finished mixture will have a brownish color and resemble liver pâté. If it’s too dry, add a little more cooking water. To serve, form small dumplings and arrange them side by side on a plate. Sprinkle with fresh herbs for decoration, if desired. Thin Caucasian lavash bread goes best with this dish. If you can’t find cornelian cherries, try another acidic ingredient. I used soaked sour plum paste. Lemon juice would also work.