If we say that lobio is a Georgian dish, then this statement is immediately refuted by all the peoples of the Caucasus, Turkey, Syria, Iran, India, as well as Mexico and other countries of the American continent. Beans and all known varieties of this culture have served as a food source for all of humanity for more than one millennium. Therefore, each nation has its own recipes for their preparation, classic and unusual.
The expression "bean lobio" is not true, given that the "lobi" and "lobio" in translation from Armenian and Georgian are beans.
But let us leave aside the questions of linguistics, and just take an interest in what is prepared from red beans in the Caucasus. They started to grow red beans as an agricultural crop as soon as it appeared in Europe, along with asparagus species of beans and other legumes that were familiar to the peoples of the Caucasus, the Middle East and Asia and America at the dawn of ancient civilizations.
Focusing only on red bean dishes, you should at least know how it differs, for example, from white or motley, or black beans, not to mention asparagus and other species of this family. The point is not in the name, but in the benefits and taste of food.
Red Bean Lobio - A Classic Recipe: Key Technological Principles
Let’s take as a basis that lobio is a Caucasian cuisine dish made from asparagus or other beans: the color of the beans mainly affects the appearance of the dish, and their size and density affect the duration and methods of cooking.
We will leave the Georgian name of the dish for convenience, but remember that similar variations of beans are available throughout world culinary, if you do not take into account the taste variety of the dish, achieved by adding different seasonings and other ingredients.
The basis of the dish is beans, onions (25-50% by weight of beans), vegetable oil (10%), sour vegetables or fruits, or wine vinegar (5-15%). The main components of the dish can be replaced or combined: asparagus and red beans, beans and beans, and so on. But the size and hardness of the grain changes the cooking time, and therefore, in the process of preparing a dish in which there are two or more types of beans, each of them needs to be cooked separately, and only then combined for further cooking.
Take into account a few more subtleties that will be useful in the process of preparing beans for lobio:
• Be sure to soak the beans for at least 12 hours to speed cooking;
• When soaking, use only boiled and chilled water. In raw and hard water, beans acquire a vitreous membrane, which makes cooking difficult.
• When soaking, keep a container of beans in the refrigerator: beans contain a lot of starch, which can cause unwanted fermentation.
Briefly about the combination of different types of beans. Cooking does not stand still, and if you want the dish to be unusual and bright, you can combine any variety of beans, including asparagus. Smaller, dry grains will boil faster than coarse grains, soak the beans of different sizes and varieties separately, and also cook separately. Cook the asparagus beans in salted water, without preliminary soaking. Try to choose younger shoots, they are more tender. Pods do not require long cooking. They can be added to the dish before the end of cooking.
There are two types of lobio: from boiled and whole grains. In the first case, a puree mass is obtained, which is served as a side dish for various dishes, used to prepare minced meat, spreads or snacks. Whole grains are stewed in a sauce: sweet and sour, spicy or spicy. The composition of sauces can be very diverse.
Lobio can be supplemented with vegetables, mushrooms, meat. These lobio components are also driven by the culture, religion and traditions of the national cuisine. In Armenia and Georgia, any kind of meat is added to the composition of lobio with pleasure, pork is excluded in Azerbaijan, and beef is forbidden in India. Beans are a recognized source of protein that is commonly used in vegetarian cuisine.
The list of spicy spices and herbs for lobio may vary depending on the area, national characteristics of a particular cuisine. In India, the traditional seasoning is curry, in Georgia, hops-suneli, and so on. The set of spices and herbs for lobio in the classic recipe of Armenian cuisine is absolutely no different from the Georgian classic lobio.
To cook lobio, like any other dish, it is enough to be guided by the general culinary principles - no more than three or four types of spicy herbs, the same number of spices to create an evenly sweet, salty, sour and spicy taste of the dish. Harmony is the limit of perfection.
It can be emphasized that Georgian cuisine treats the creation of aromas with special trepidation thanks to the traditional set of herbs: dill, all kinds of basil, parsley, garlic, mint, savory, marigold and many other local plants. Cilantro is a special accent of Caucasian cuisine, although not everyone likes its specific smell, but without it, the dish is extremely difficult to identify as Georgian or Armenian, or generally Caucasian. In fairness, we note that the same attitude to spices and spices is inherent in any cook in every corner of the globe.
It is possible to list all kinds of herbal supplements used by local culinary specialists to make beans, but it will take a lot of time and it does not make sense without a specific recipe that you must try to cook at least once to imbue love and respect for the wise and generous cuisine of the Caucasus.
1. Red Bean Lobio - A Classic Recipe
Products for cooking:
Beans 600 g
Coriander 25 g
Garlic 15 g
Onions, 200 g
Leek100 g
Celery 20 g
Oil 60 ml
Ground paprika
Black pepper
Tomato paste 100 g
Barberry, dried 30 g
Salt
Operating procedure:
Boil the beans. Pass the leek and onions. Combine the tomato paste with a little water and add it to the stewed onion. Transfer the dressing to the pan, to the boiled and washed beans. Shuffle. Add spices and herbs, bring to taste and simmer to form the aroma of the dish. Turn off the heat, add garlic, herbs, previously barberry soaked in boiling water. Serve hot and cold.
2. Red bean lobio - a classic recipe in tomato
Ingredients Composition:
Beans 1.0 kg
Fresh tomatoes 700 g
Onions 300 g
Suneli hops 10 g
Walnut Oil 120 ml
Pepper (mixture)
Cilantro, spring onion, parsley
Chopped walnuts 250 g
Garlic
Salt
Cooking Technology:
Boil the beans. Dice the onions and tomatoes. Fry the onions in a pan first, and then add the tomatoes. Stew lightly, add cooked dressing to beans, in a deep pan. Beans should be washed and drained after boiling. If necessary, add hot boiled water to cover the beans. At the end of cooking, add spicy herbs, spices. Grind the garlic and nuts in a mortar and add to the dish after remove from heat.
3. Red Bean Lobio - A classic recipe with pods and meat
Products:
Asparagus Beans 500 g
Veal 1.0 kg (fillet)
Onion 400 g
Dry red beans 0.7 kg
Cooking oil (for passivation)
Pepper
Mint
Cilantro
Parsley
Salt
Cooking:
Fry the chopped meat over high heat, having previously melted the fat in a pan. Add the onions, cover the pan, simmer the meat for 15 minutes, then transfer to the pan. Add to it first red beans, previously boiled and washed, and shortly before the end of cooking - herbs, spices and boiled asparagus. Remove the lobio from the stove and let it brew for half an hour, and serve.
4. Lobio red bean - a classic recipe for Abkhazian cuisine
Product Composition:
Beans, red 750 g
Onions 300 g
Garlic
Ground coriander 10-15 g
Ground paprika
Fresh cilantro
Walnuts 70 g
Salt
Order of preparation:
While the prepared beans are boiling, fry the onions in vegetable oil, cut into strips or half rings. Discard the beans in a colander, transfer to a pan with onions. Simmer for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chopped greens and garlic, ground coriander, pepper, chopped nuts, salt.
5. Red Bean Lobio - A classic recipe with onions and eggs
Composition:
Asparagus, red and white beans 1 kg (assorted or only asparagus)
Onion 500 g
Eggs 3 pcs.
Parsley, savory, mint, dill, basil
Salt
Ghee 100 g
Operating procedure:
Cook the prepared beans, adding to it a bunch of connected, spicy greens. Salt at the end of cooking. Stew the onions separately. Remove the bunch of greens from the cooked beans and add the onions, sautéed in butter, fresh chopped parsley, mint, basil, dill and savory. Stir everything and put out a little. Pour the beans with eggs, after whipping them, level the surface. Cover, simmer until eggs are cooked.
6. Red Bean Lobio - A Classic Alazani Recipe
You will need:
Red carrots 500 g (net)
Beans (dried grains) 0.5 kg
Onion 400 g
Oil 250 ml
Dill 200 g
Garlic
Coriander
Dried paprika
Salt
Tomato Sauce 300 g
Procedure:
Boil the beans. Chop and fry the onions and carrots separately. Combine the ingredients with dressing. To completely cover the beans with sauce, add hot water if necessary, add dill and simmer for 15 minutes in the oven. Season with salt, garlic and spices. You can pre-grind the garlic with walnuts, and if you want to make a harvest for the future, add wine vinegar, pasteurize the lobio in the oven after cooking and immediately cork. Remove cans from the hot oven after complete cooling. An excellent side dish for meat is ready. This recipe can be perfectly used as a preparation for soups and borsch.
Red Bean Lobio - A Classic Recipe: Useful Tips
- Serve lobio warm or cold, without heating, so as not to lose the aroma of herbs, and garlic after heating degrades the taste of the dish.
- In the process of soaking, it is desirable to change the water two or three times. Grains contain oligosaccharides - substances that are not absorbed by the body. They cause bloating and an unpleasant feeling of heaviness in the intestines.
- Boil the beans on a very low fire, not allowing boiling, and salt only when it becomes soft.
- Great for soaking beans with light beer. In it, you can also cook beans without draining the liquid and rinsing before cooking.
