This traditional Turkish bean stew is meatless, with a thick tomato-paste sauce. Made with olive oil, it is a classic home-cooked dish served hot with rice and pickles for lunch or dinner.
Discard the soaking water. Cover the beans with plenty of fresh water and boil over medium heat for about 15 minutes, then drain. This parboiling removes foam and helps reduce the compounds that cause gas.
Heat the olive oil in a pot and sauté the chopped onion over medium heat until light golden. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 more minute until fragrant.
Add the tomato paste and pepper paste and cook briefly until their raw aroma cooks off. Continue until the oil separates from the paste and its color darkens.
Add the drained beans and hot water. Once the stew comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer with the lid slightly ajar until the beans are tender. Add more hot water if the liquid reduces too much.
When the beans are tender but still hold their shape, add the salt, black pepper and Turkish red pepper flakes. Cook for 5 more minutes, then remove from the heat and let rest for 10 minutes while the sauce thickens. Caution: Add the salt at this stage; adding it earlier can toughen the skins.
Important: Soak the dried beans in plenty of water overnight; this shortens the cooking time and helps reduce the compounds that cause gas. Add the salt during the last quarter of cooking; adding it too early can toughen the skins and make the beans take longer to soften. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days. The sauce thickens as it is reheated; loosen it with a little hot water if desired.
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