There are some meals and dishes that are very personal and nostalgic. Hearing about someone cooking them, smelling them, or tasting them takes you back in time. And sometimes its the other way around, remembering a certain memory takes you back to that food you were eating. Fasouliah or Red Bean Stew does EXACTLY that to me. As a kid I used to love it. When my mom would tell that she’s going to make it for lunch that day, I would seriously look forward to it all day at school. Then coming home to the smell of fried garlic and coriander would immediately open up my appetite. I want to take the opportunity here to praise the housewife, chef, old ancestors, whoever it was that thought of the brilliant idea of combing the coriander leaf (which unless fried doesn’t have that much of a smell) and the ever- pungent garlic in oil over heat. GENIUS. I don’t know about you, but that smell takes me places. I find that it also does that to my son. Or maybe its our middle-eastern roots talking to us.
Anyhow, add meat and beans to that every combination and you are going to get a very heart- warming fulfilling meal. Served with a side of vermicelli rice and you’re good to go for a another 5 hours. That is how long it will take your tummy to feel hungry again. ENJOY 🙂
White Bean Stew
The white beans must be soaked in 1TB of bicarbonate overnight. The net day, bring a large pot of water to boil, drop the beans and leave to cook for only 3M. Remove and strain. Put in ziplock bags depending on amount you usually cook so that you only need to take one bag out for each meal, and freeze.
Ingredients
- 500g fillet meat cut into cubes(2inx2in) (boiled for one hour in 1 onion, spices, salt, 2 bay leaves, 4 cloves, 3 cardamom seeds, and 1 cinnamon stick)
- 2 TB vegetable oil
- 4 TB frozen or fresh coriander
- 6 crushed garlic
- Juice of two tomatoes
- 1 pack Pomi
- 1/2 pack tomato paste (3TB)
- For Rice:
- 1 cup of Italian rice = 1 1/2 cup of water (according to your serving size make adjustment)
- 2 TB vegetable oil
- One handful vermicelli
- Salt
Directions
- Step 1 Boil the meat for one hour or until it’s tender. Remove and set aside.
- Step 2 In a pot, heat the oil and add garlic and coriander. Cook until light gold and garlic becomes fragrant.
- Step 3 Add the boiled meat, and stir into garlic and coriander for a while (do not allow to dry, meat must remain juicy).
- Step 4 Add tomato juice, Pomi, and tomato paste (melted in a little water). The sauce should be a little watery. Add salt and spice to taste.
- Step 5 Stir in and leave to cook for 15M on medium heat. Add the beans and leave to cook for another 15M. If you cook for too long the beans will fall apart.
- Step 6 In another pot, heat 2TB oil and add vermicelli until golden brown. Add in Italian rice (washed and drained) and cover with water. Mix in salt. Leave to cook on high heat. When it starts to bubble, keep heat on low until the water has completely evaporated.
- Step 7 Serve this meal with a side of lemon juice (to add onto stew), cleanly cut radish and green onions
