Fasulye and Pilav

Salwaa’s Fasulye (Beans Stew & Rice)

Fasulye

Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive

On our recent trip to Istanbul we had this delicious bean stew called Fasulye served with a buttery rice. It’s very popular amongst the Turks and widely eaten in the country. It’s such a cheap and easy dish to make, it’s filling and really warms you up too. This is my version and a must try dish.

Ingredients:

2 chopped onions

2 ripe chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 small chopped green pepper

2-3 finely chopped chillies

1 tbsp grated garlic

Salt to taste

2 tins of cannellini beans drained

Method:

Braised finely chopped onion in a little oil for about 5 minutes.

Add garlic, chillies, tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Add cannellini beans and cook for a further 10 minutes. Add water as desired.

The result is a delicious, hearty bean stew. I served it with a plate of Pilav (rice)

Turkish Pilav (rice)

Fasulya with Pilav

Ingredients 

2 cups of basmati or fragrant rice

3 tablespoons butter (real butter gives the flavour, margarine is not a substitute)

5 cloves

2 cups of water or stock (chicken stock works particularly well, and helps create the authentic taste)

1 – 2 teaspoons salt, use less salt of you are using chicken stock

Method:

Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold water. Place the rice in a bowl and cover with hot salted water. Let this stand for about 30 minutes.  Wash again thoroughly in cold water (the water should run clear) and drain well.

Melt the butter, with the cloves, in a saucepan until it just starts to sizzle, before it turns brown. Add the rice and sauté for 2-3 minutes stirring continuously.

Pour the stock or water into the pan, bring to the boil, then turn down to simmer on a low heat. Don’t stir the pilav whilst cooking! Cook until the rice has absorbed all the water (10-15 minutes). Add salt to taste.

Take the pan off the heat, and remove the lid. Place a clean kitchen towel over the pot, and then replace the lid. Leave to “rest” for 5-10 minutes. Stir the rice with a fork to fluff it up before serving with the fasulya beans.

Enjoy a taste from Turkey

All content and media are the property of Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights

Visit our online shop at www.capemalaydelights.store for your convenience we offer nationwide delivery.