Lobio

Method

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1. Drain the soaked beans, cover with fresh water by 5 cm, and boil hard for 10 minutes.

   Mark done Start 10 min timer

2. Lower the heat and simmer 60 to 80 minutes until completely tender. Do not salt them yet — salt early keeps the skins tough.

   Mark done Start 60 min timer

3. Drain, keeping 400 ml of the cooking liquid.

   Mark done

4. Cook the onions in the oil over medium heat for 12 minutes until soft and golden.

   Mark done Start 12 min timer

5. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, then return the beans with the reserved liquid.

   Mark done

6. Simmer 15 minutes, then mash about a third of the beans against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon.

   Mark done

7. Stir in the ground walnuts and cook 5 minutes — the mixture will thicken noticeably.

   Mark done

8. Take off the heat and add the vinegar, ground coriander, blue fenugreek, savory, chilli and salt.

   Mark done

9. Stir in most of the fresh coriander and let it sit 10 minutes for the spices to open up.

   Mark done

10. Serve hot with the rest of the coriander, sliced red onion, cornbread and pickles.

    Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Salt only after the beans are tender.
• Spices off the heat at the end. Cooking them dulls the whole dish.
• Mash a third, leave the rest whole. Two textures, one pot.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Mchadi cornbread
• Pickled vegetables
• A Georgian amber wine

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days, better on day two, and freeze 3 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.