Kuru Fasulye

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 200 g beans, white (Beyaz Kuru Fasulye)
• Salt water for soaking
• 1 large onion(s)
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• n. B. vegetable oil
• 1 ½ liters of water
• salt and pepper
• Paprika powder, hot
• 2 tbsp water

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 13 hours 30 minutes

Turkish bean stew (basic recipe)

The amount of beans depends on how much you like; I use around 200g. The same goes for the water; I always fill about half the pot. The beans are very filling, especially when served with rice (pilaf) as usual. Ideally, you should wash the beans before preparing them and soak them in salted water for around 12 hours. But you can do without, but you still have to wash the beans beforehand. So you take a large pot, fill it with water and bring it to a boil. Then add the desired amount of beans and cook for 1 to 1.5 hours. Depending on whether you soaked them or not, it will take a correspondingly long time for the beans to become tender. Some people like them harder, some softer; it’s all a matter of taste, so just taste it a little at a time until they’re okay. In a small pot, fry the finely chopped onion in oil, then add the tomato paste. Turkish supermarkets sell pre-seasoned tomato paste (Domates Salcasi), which is very common in Turkish cuisine. Regular tomato paste will do, too. I season it with salt, pepper, and hot paprika beforehand. I add 1-2 tablespoons of water to the pot with the onions and tomato paste to make it a bit creamier. Once everything is mixed, stir it all into the pot with the beans, add 1 teaspoon of salt, bring back to a boil, and it’s ready. Kuru Fasulye is prepared differently in every region and every household; this is a basic recipe. You can add bell peppers, potatoes, parsley, or anything else you like. It’s best served with rice (pilaf).