A light, easy one-pot stew ideal for lazy summer days. Usually served cold but also delicious warm. The dish is gently seasoned with basil and pepper and has both refreshing and sweet tones. Wonderful with cacık and pickled or garlic-based foods.
Original recipe & blog post from July 2018 updated with new pictures & details August 2020.
These taze barbunya – fresh borlotti or cranberry beans are a beautiful pink and white variety of kidney beans that you can’t miss in the market place. Sitting proudly in their designer jackets making the rest of the produced look a little dull they a fabulous choice for the summer menu.
As the temperatures rise and life requires a little slowing down, easy meals with less kitchen time are a must. Barbunya pilaki for me is one of those dishes. With little preparation of some accompany vegetables, a touch of seasoning and nice big pot on the stove this cold bean stew has an almost nutty and sweet taste and alongside some cacık (Cucumbers in yoghurt), Turkish rice and Turşu (Pickles) it's a refreshing and energizing meal.
When picking the fresh beans from the market look for plump colourful pods, they don’t have too much shelf life once picked so you ideally want to use them within a few days from purchase.
Barbunya pilaki is a dish suitable for vegetarians and vegans and uses very little flavourings – don’t forget the good glug of olive oil and squeeze of fresh lemon to really bring the dish together.
Turkish Borlotti Bean Stew Barbunya Pilaki
A light, easy one-pot stew ideal for lazy summer days. Usually served cold but also delicious warm. The dish is gently seasoned with basil and pepper and has both refreshing and sweet tones. Wonderful with cacık and pickled or garlic-based foods.
| Category: | Mezes & Appetizers Vegetable based dishes 'Zeytinyağlılar' Beans & Peas |
| Seasons | |
| Cuisine Type | Turkish |
Ingredients
Cranberry bean stew
| 1 Kg Borlotti / Cranberry beans (around 500grams once depodded) |
| Jolly good glue of olive oil |
| 1 Large Onion, diced |
| 2 Large Garlic cloves, minced |
| 1 Large Carrot, diced |
| 1 Medium Potato, diced (Optional) |
| 1 Sweet green pepper, diced |
| 1 Sweet red pepper, diced |
| 1 Heaped Teaspoon Tomato paste (Domates salçası) |
| 1/2 Teaspoon Dried basil |
| 1/2 Teaspoon Salt |
| 1/2 Teaspoon Pul biber / Aleppo pepper flakes |
| 1/2 Teaspoon Sugar or honey |
| 400 Ml Hot water (2 'Su' glasses) |
| Juice of 1/2 lemon |
Turkish Borlotti Bean Stew Barbunya Pilaki Directions
- Heat some oil in a saucepan (one that has a lid) and fry the onions on low until softened and glossy, add the garlic and allow it to also soften but not brown.
- Fry the vegetables for a few minutes allowing them to also soften add the carrot and potato (if using) and fry gently, enough to slightly brown the edges, these crisped edges offer an extra sweet tone to the nutty beans.
- Use the spoon to create a well in the centre of the frying pan and if the olive oil has been soaked up by the vegetables completely add a dribble into this well.
- Add the tomato paste into the oil until it begins to loosens.
- Blend the herbs, lemon and sugar into the salça and then mix this around the saucepan coating all the vegetables.
- Pour the hot water into the pan and stir.
- Mix in the beans and cover the saucepan.
- Cook on medium heat for around 30 to 40 minutes or until the beans are softened but are still have a little bite.
- For an authentic Turkish dish, allow the beans to cool to room temperature and serve with a good glug of olive oil and a further squeeze of lemon juice.
- Barbunya is often served with rice and turşu (pickles or food served in sour juice)
Recipe notes
You can change the vegetables and flavouring as you fancy. Some people prefer without potato for an even lighter stew and use any white bean should you not be able to find the borlotti bean.
