A recipe from Gemo
Plain Georgian Lobio
A simple Georgian red bean stew mashed to a thick, spoonable texture with sauteed onion, garlic, cilantro, coriander, blue fenugreek, and bay. Serve it warm with mchadi or bread and pickles for a classic bean bowl.
Method
- 01
Put 400 g dried red kidney beans in a large bowl, cover with plenty of cold water, and soak for 8-12 hours. Drain and rinse before cooking.
- 02
Transfer the soaked beans to a pot with 1500 ml fresh water and 3 bay leaves. Bring to a full boil for 10 minutes, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 75-90 minutes, adding 1 teaspoon salt near the end, until the beans are completely tender and easy to crush.
⏱ 90 min
- 03
Reserve about 600 ml of the bean cooking liquid, then drain the beans and discard the bay leaves. Return the beans to the pot and mash about half of them with a spoon or potato masher, leaving some whole beans for texture.
- 04
Warm 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the 2 finely chopped onions and cook for 8-10 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Stir in 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon utskho suneli, 1/2 teaspoon dried summer savory, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes for about 30 seconds.
⏱ 10 min
- 05
Scrape the onion-spice mixture into the mashed beans. Add 300 ml reserved bean liquid, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring and mashing a little more, until the lobio is thick but still spoonable. Add more reserved liquid if it gets too stiff, and adjust with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt or more to taste.
⏱ 15 min
- 06
Stir in 40 g chopped cilantro and 20 g chopped parsley. Let the lobio stand off the heat for 5 minutes, then serve warm with mchadi or Georgian bread and mixed pickles if using.
⏱ 5 min
Nutrition
