Bulgarian White Bean Stew (Bob)

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 250 g beans, white, dried
• 500 ml water
• 1 small onion(s)
• 1 clove(s) garlic
• 1 small carrot(s)
• 1 m.-sized tomato(s)
• 1 medium-sized red bell pepper(s)
• 1 tsp mint, fresh or dried
• 1 tsp savory, dried or fresh
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 60 ml sunflower oil
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp paprika powder, sweet
• Salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 13 hours 20 minutes

vegan, like grandma’s

Soak the beans in plenty of water (approx. 700 ml) for 12 hours or overnight. Drain the beans in a sieve and rinse with cold water. Discard the water. Place the beans in a pot and bring to a boil with 500 ml of water. Add the baking soda and cook until almost tender (approx. 1 hour). Add the salt at the end. If you don’t have time to soak the beans, you can boil them straight away. Halfway through the cooking time, drain the cooking water and add fresh water. In this case, do not use the baking soda. Peel the onion and garlic and chop as finely as possible, using a food processor if necessary. Peel and dice the carrot, wash the bell pepper, deseed it, and dice it finely. Grate the tomato. When the beans are already soft but still have a slight bite, add the carrot, bell pepper, onion, and garlic to the bean water. Boil for approx. 10 minutes. Add the tomato and cook for a further 5 minutes. Season with mint (available dried in oriental stores), savory, and salt. In a separate, small saucepan, heat 60 ml of oil for the roux. First, combine the flour, then the paprika. Stir until no lumps remain, then deglaze with a cup/ladle of the bean liquid and stir again. Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the remaining bean liquid. Bring to a boil briefly and remove from the heat. Traditionally, this is served with hot chilies or pepperoni and, of course, white bread. Tip for those in a hurry: You can also use canned beans; simply fry the onion and garlic in the oil for the roux until soft. Add the flour and paprika and sweat. Add the grated tomatoes and canned beans (including the liquid) and bring to a boil. Add water, if desired, and season with spices.