Destination
Antalya
The story
Kuru fasulye is Turkey's most-cooked home dish and the country's most-loved bean preparation. Dried Turkish white beans (ideally the ivory-coloured İspir or Erzincan variety) are soaked overnight, then simmered for a couple of hours in a base of tomato paste, onion, garlic and Aleppo pepper until the beans are soft and the sauce has thickened into a heavy stew. Served with a mound of buttery pilav (rice pilaf) on the side, a spoonful of thick Turkish yogurt, and a plate of pickled vegetables. The premium version, kuru fasulye with kavurma, adds a topping of small cubes of lamb slow-sautéed with onion until the meat is deeply browned and the pan juices have concentrated into a glossy glaze.
Method
Drain the soaked beans. Combine in a large pot with fresh water, bay leaves, smashed garlic and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then simmer 60 to 90 minutes until just tender. Reserve 500ml of the cooking liquid, drain the rest.
In a heavy pot, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Cook onion 8 minutes until soft and golden. Add garlic and cook 60 seconds.
Stir in tomato paste and red pepper paste. Cook 3 minutes until darkened. Add chopped tomatoes, Aleppo pepper, cumin, salt and black pepper. Cook 10 minutes until the mixture has thickened.
Add the cooked beans and 500ml reserved cooking liquid. Simmer partially covered 30 to 40 minutes until the sauce is thick and the beans have taken on the colour of the stew.
While the beans finish, warm butter in a wide heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add lamb cubes in a single layer. Cook 8 minutes without stirring so the pieces catch and brown deeply, then toss and cook another 4 minutes.
Add chopped onion to the lamb. Cook 6 more minutes over medium heat until the onion is soft and the pan juices are glossy. Season with salt, black pepper and Aleppo pepper.
Ladle the bean stew into wide shallow bowls. Spoon a generous portion of kavurma over the top of each. Scatter with chopped parsley.
Serve with pilav on the side (usually mounded next to the beans, not underneath), plus yogurt, pickles, lemon wedges and warm bread. Diners eat everything together, spooning up beans, meat, rice and yogurt in the same bite.
Tips
- Turkish white beans if you can find them. İspir beans from north-east Turkey are the classical choice; they hold their shape and have a specific creamy texture. Navy beans or small cannellini are the practical substitutes.
- Overnight soak. Do not skip. Un-soaked beans will not cook through evenly.
- Two Turkish pastes. Tomato paste for depth and red pepper paste (biber salçası) for a specific fruity heat. Both are standard in every Turkish kitchen and any Turkish grocer sells them.
- Salt at the right moment. Salt the beans only at the end of the initial boil, not at the start. Salting early tightens the skins and gives you chalky beans.
- Better on day two. The stew improves overnight as the beans absorb the sauce. Make Saturday for Sunday lunch. It freezes well too.
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