Lobio — Georgian Braised Beans

Ingredients

• 2 cans kidney or black beans, drained (liquid reserved)
• 1 onion, diced
• ½ cup walnuts, finely chopped or blitzed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ground coriander + ½ tsp fenugreek or curry powder + ½ tsp chili flakes
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Big handful cilantro, chopped
• 3 tbsp oil
• Cornbread or flatbread, to serve

Method

1. Soften the onion in the oil over medium heat until golden, 6–8 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, coriander, fenugreek, and chili flakes; stir 1 minute until the spices bloom.
3. Add the beans with a cup of their reserved liquid and simmer 15 minutes, mashing about a third of them against the pot — lobio's texture is creamy-with-integrity.
4. Stir in the walnuts and vinegar and simmer 5 minutes more. The walnuts thicken the pot and bring that distinctly Georgian richness — the cuisine puts walnuts where others put cream.
5. Fold in the cilantro, season assertively, and serve hot with cornbread (mchadi, if we're being proper). Georgia has been perfecting bean cookery since antiquity; this is why.