This dish is made in every home, workplace cafeteria, military mess hall and restaurant serving Turkish fare and considered Turkey’s national dish. If you’re a meat and bean lover, try this juicy, hearty bean and meat stew. If you are a vegetarian, you can simply eliminate the meat from this recipe.

In Turkey, “kuru fasulye” meaning “dry beans,” are most often served over rice and accompanied by mixed pickles.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry navy beans
• 4 cups milk
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 500 grams/1 pound beef or lamb for stewing, cut in cubes
• 1 large, ripe tomato, grated
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste (or 1 tbsp. tomato paste and 1 tbsp. sweet pepper paste)
• 2 tbsp. butter or margarine
• 3 cups hot water
• ½ tsp. hot red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. pepper

How to prepare:

1. Place dry navy beans in a bowl and cover them with the milk. Soak overnight.

2. Drain the beans and place them in saucepan with enough water to cover them by about an inch. Bring the water to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Let the beans simmer until they are about half-cooked. Drain them again and set aside.

3. In a terracotta cooker or dutch oven, place the onion, meat, tomato paste, butter and salt and stir until combined. Add the beans then add water to covers the beans.

4. Place the cooker or dutch oven in a 200° C/ 385° F oven and cook for at least 3 hours, until the beans are soft and the meat is tender.

5. When the beans are cooked, remove the cooker from the oven and let it rest for about 20 minutes.

6. If you don’t have a terracotta cooker or Dutch oven, you can cook this recipe on the stove. Increase the amount of water to 4 cups and let the beans simmer very slowly with the cover on until tender. You may have to add extra water as they cook.

7. The traditional Turkish way to serve beans is with rice and mixed pickles.