Haricot beans simmered in a peppery tomato and onion base until the sauce turns thick and orange. A vegan Turkish staple, usually eaten with rice.
Prep
15 mins
Cook
1h
Servings
5
Per serving
£0.60
Difficulty
easy
Turkey's most everyday dish, often called the national dish, and about as cheap as a hot meal gets. Turkish red pepper paste is what separates a good kuru fasulye from a bland one; if you cannot find it, roasted red peppers blitzed with paprika get you most of the way.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and green peppers with a pinch of the salt and cook for 12 minutes until soft and lightly coloured.
Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the red pepper paste and tomato purée. Fry these for a full 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Cooking the pastes out properly is what turns the stew a deep orange rather than leaving a raw, tinny edge.
Add the paprika, pul biber and oregano and stir for 30 seconds.
Tip in the chopped tomatoes, the drained beans, the remaining salt and 500ml water. Bring to the boil.
Reduce to a steady simmer and cook uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and turned glossy and the beans are very soft.
Mash a large spoonful of beans against the side of the pan and stir back in to thicken the sauce further without any flour.
Taste for salt and heat. It should taste distinctly of pepper and paprika rather than just tomato. Finish with chopped parsley and serve with plain rice.