Cookies Preferences
This is my idea of Arabic comfort food. It tastes of a country garden and there's no dish I'd rather pull out of the fridge and snack on. It's craveable! Loobia B'Zeit which translates to Beans in Oil....it's actually beans stewed in a fragrant tomato base.Vegetarian dishes really are the stars of Middle Eastern cuisine, I think. There's a huge variety stemming from the abundance of beautiful produce grown in the region. This dish is wonderful served alongside some Moutabal (eggplant dip) and Hummus, perhaps a Fattoush Salad, Vine Leaves, and Swiss Chard Fatayer. I'm getting hungry just imagining it all!
If you have a hard time finding Romano beans, fine green beans work perfectly well. And contrary to what your instincts might be, this is best served cold and scooped up with Arabic bread. I suppose you could eat it hot over some rice, but please give this a try as suggested.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 ½ pounds runner beans, trimmed
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
½ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
salt and pepper
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed casserole and add the cumin and coriander seeds, stirring often. When the seeds start to pop and are fragrant, add the onion and garlic and season well with salt and pepper. Allow to cook for 4-5 minutes before adding the tomato paste and then stir well and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the green beans, tomatoes, and 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 45-60 minutes until the beans are very tender. Remove from heat, season to taste and allow to cool. Sprinkle with the cilantro and almonds before serving with bread.
