If you 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 are the source of food for all of humanity for more than one millennium. Therefore, each nation has its own recipes for their preparation, classic and unusual.
The expression “lobio from beans” is not true, given that “lobi” and “lobio” in Armenian and Georgian are beans.
But the questions of linguistics we will leave aside for the time being, and just take an interest in what is cooked from red beans in the Caucasus. Growing red beans as an agricultural crop began as soon as it appeared in Europe, along with asparagus 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, one should at least know how it differs, for example, from white or variegated, or black beans, not to mention asparagus and other types of this family. The point is not in the name, but in the benefits and taste of food.
Lobio from red beans - a classic recipe: basic technological principles
We assume that lobio is a dish of Caucasian cuisine 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 culinary processing.
The Georgian name of the dish is left for convenience, but remember that similar versions of bean dishes exist throughout world cooking, if we do not take into account while the taste variety of dishes, achieved by adding different seasonings and other components.
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 duration and duration of cooking change from the size and hardness of the grain, and therefore in the process of cooking a dish in which there are two or more types of beans, each of them must be cooked separately, and only then be combined for further preparation. Please note a few other 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 up the cooking;
• When soaking, use only boiled and chilled water. In raw and hard water, the beans acquire a vitreous shell that makes cooking difficult.
• When soaking, keep the container with the beans in the fridge: the 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 kind of beans, including asparagus. Smaller dry grain will cook faster than coarse, so soak beans in different sizes and varieties separately, and cook separately. Asparagus beans cook in salted water, without soaking. Try to choose younger shoots, they are softer. Pods do not require long cooking. They can be added to the dish before the end of cooking.
There are two types of lobio: boiled and whole grains. In the first case, it turns out a puree-like mass, which is served as a side dish to various dishes, used to make 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 components of lobio are also determined by the culture, religion and traditions of the national cuisine. In Armenia and Georgia, lobio is pleased to add any kind of meat, in Azerbaijan pork is excluded, and in India it is forbidden to eat beef. Beans - a recognized source of protein, which is commonly used in vegetarian cuisine.
The list of spicy spices and herbs for lobio can vary depending on the area, national peculiarities of this or that cuisine. In India, the traditional seasoning is curry, in Georgia, hops-suneli, and so on. A 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 follow common culinary principles - no more than three or four types of herbs, the same amount of spices to create a uniformly sweet, salty, sour and spicy taste of the dish. Harmony is the limit of perfection. It can be emphasized that in Georgian cuisine with special trepidation they relate to the creation of aromas, thanks to the traditional set of herbs: dill, all varieties of basil, parsley, garlic, mint, savory, marigolds 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 Caucasian in general. In fairness, we note that the same attitude to spices and spices is inherent in any cook, in every corner of the globe.
You can list all the various herbal supplements used by local culinary specialists to make beans, but it will take a lot of time and does not make sense without a specific recipe, which you should try to cook at least once in order to feel 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 25g
Garlic 15g
Onion, 200 g
Leek100 g
Celery 20 g
Oil 60 ml
Ground paprika
Black pepper
Tomato paste 100 g
Barberry, dried 30 g
Salt
Working order:
Boil the beans. Pass the leek and onions. Combine tomato paste with a little water and add it to the stewed onions. Transfer the dressing to the pan, to the boiled and washed beans. Stir. Add spices and herbs, bring to taste and stew, to form the flavor of the dish. Turn off the heat, add garlic, greens, pre-soaked in boiling water barberry. Serve hot and cold.
2. Red bean lobio - a classic recipe, in a tomato
Ingredients:
Beans 1.0 kg
Fresh Tomatoes 700 g
Onions 300 g
Hops suneli 10 g
Walnut oil 120 ml
Pepper (mixture)
Cilantro, green onions, parsley
Chopped walnuts 250 g
Garlic
Salt
Cooking Technology:
Boil the beans. Dice onions and tomatoes. First, fry the onions in a pan, and then add the tomatoes. Stew lightly, add cooked dressing to the beans, in a deep pan. Beans should be washed after cooking and drain the water. If necessary, add hot boiled water to cover the beans. At the end of cooking, add herbs, spices. Put garlic and nuts in a mortar and add to the dish after removing from the heat.
3. Red Bean Lobio - a classic recipe with pods and meat
Products:
Asparagus beans 500 g
Veal 1.0 kg (fillet)
Onions 400g
Red dry beans 0.7 kg
Culinary fat (for passaging)
Pepper
Mint
Cilantro
Parsley
Salt
Cooking:
Fry the sliced meat on high heat, pre-melt the fat in the pan. Add the onions, cover the pan, simmer the meat for 15 minutes, then transfer to the pan. Add to it first the red beans, boiled and washed beforehand, and just before the end of cooking - greens, spices and boiled asparagus. Remove lobio from the stove and let it brew for half an hour, and serve.
4. Red beans lobio - a classic recipe for Abkhazian cuisine
Composition of products:
Red beans 750 g
Onions 300g
Garlic
Ground coriander 10-15 g
Red paprika, ground
Fresh cilantro
Walnuts 70 g
Salt
Preparation:
While the beans are being cooked, fry the onion in vegetable oil, cut into strips or half rings. Throw the beans in a colander, put in a pan with onions. Simmer for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chopped herbs and garlic, ground coriander, pepper, chopped nuts, and salt.
5. Red bean lobio - a classic recipe with onions and eggs
Composition:
Asparagus, red and white beans 1 kg (in the range or only asparagus)
Onions 500g
Eggs 3 pcs.
Parsley, savory, mint, dill, basil
Salt
Ghee 100 g
Working order:
Cook the prepared beans, adding to it the associated bunch, spicy greens. At the end of cooking, salt. Extinguish the onions separately. From the cooked beans, remove a bunch of greens and add the onions, browned in butter, fresh chopped parsley, mint, basil, dill and savory. Stir everything and put out a little. Fill the beans with eggs, after beating them, level the surface. Cover with a lid, stew until eggs are fully cooked.
6. Red bean lobio - a classic recipe in Alazani
Required:
Red carrots 500 g (net)
Beans (dry grains) 0.5 kg
Onions 400g
250 ml oil
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 the beans covered completely with sauce, add, if you need hot water, add dill stew in the oven for fifteen minutes. Season with salt, garlic and spices. Garlic can be pre-pounded with walnuts, and if you want to make a billet for the future, then add vinegar, pasteurize lobio in the oven after cooking and immediately cork. Banks reach from the hot oven after complete cooling. Great garnish for meat is ready. This recipe can be perfectly used as a blank for soups and borscht.
Red Bean Lobio - A Classic Recipe: Tips & Tricks
- Lobio serve warm or cold without warming up, so as not to lose the aroma of herbs, and garlic after heating worsens the taste of the dish.
- In the soaking process, it is advisable 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.
- It is necessary to boil the beans on a very low heat, not allowing vigorous boiling, and salt only when it is soft.
- Great for soaking beans light beer. It is also possible to boil the beans, without draining the liquid and rinsing before cooking.
