Beans in a garlicky tomato sauce
This dish very much reminds me of holidays in Greece where beans (and indeed all sorts of vegetables) are cooked until almost collapsing in a rich, garlicky tomato sauce and then served with thick yoghurt or a sprinkle of feta on top.
Once, when wandering through the streets of a little village on the island of Lesbos we were accosted by an elderly gentleman and encouraged (forced) to eat a dish very similar to this (though with runner beans) in his ‘restaurant’. The restaurant was just a single table on the street at the back of his house. We very much enjoyed the dish and the slightly eccentric experience. But I remember afterwards that the owner of a taverna we frequented near our hotel was horrified we’d eaten with him in this backstreet restaurant - suggesting that the elderly gentleman had no food safety standards and just topped up the dish with more vegetables every day - never getting to the end of the pot! We lived to tell the tale and have been making versions of this dish every since.
I love it with the whole broad bean pods which are deliciously tender when picked young or when grown undercover in a polytunnel but this works equally well with runner beans, green beans or courgettes later in the season.
Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a side dish
2-4 tablespoons olive oil (you can use the smaller amount of oil if you prefer but for a real Greek flavour this dish should be quite rich)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large or 2 small bay leaves
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
400ml water
300-350g young broad bean (in their pods) or the same weight of green beans or runner beans
300ml Greek yoghurt
10g dill and or 10g flat leaf parsley
Salt and black pepper
1. Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat. Once hot add the olive oil and once the oil is hot add the onions with a generous pinch of salt and the bay leaf (or leaves). Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook the onions, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes until soft and turning golden.
2. Add the garlic to the onions and cook for another 5 minutes and then stir in the ground cinnamon and tomato puree and cook for a minute or two more.
3. Pour the chopped tomatoes into the pan and then fill the empty can with water (which will be about 400ml) and add that to the pan too. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, stir and then bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
4. Wash the broad bean pods well and cut off the tops (the bit where they are attached to the plant).After the sauce has been cooking for 15 minutes add the broad beans, cover with a lid and cook for another 15 minutes or until the beans are tender. For this dish the beans should be really soft not al dente. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve immediately or keep to serve the next day, it will taste even better.
5. Season the Greek yoghurt with salt and pepper and then spread it out on a large platter or wide bowl. Put the tomatoey beans on top of the yoghurt and then sprinkle over the dill. This dish can be served hot or at room temperature. We like to serve it with buttery basmati rice with chickpeas or with hunks of bread for dipping in the tomato and yoghurt sauce.
