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Fasole bătută
Romanian whipped white bean dip with caramelised onions
Fasole bătută, 'beaten beans', is the fasting-day spread of Romania: on Christmas Eve and through Lent, plates of it appear in homes from Bucharest to the monasteries of Bucovina. Soft white beans are mashed smooth with garlic and oil, then crowned with a tangle of slow-fried onions stained red with paprika. It is spread thickly on bread, or served beside pickles and mămăligă. Chef's tip: beat the beans while they are still warm; cold beans turn stiff and pasty, and a common mistake is adding too little liquid, so loosen with a splash of cooking water until the purée is light and fluffy.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the beans
For the onion topping
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Warm 1 ⅓ lb cooked white beans in a pan with a splash of 3 ½ tbsp bean cooking liquid or hot water over a low heat until hot through.
5 minStep 2: Blend or mash the hot beans with 3 garlic cloves and 1 tsp salt, then beat in ¼ cup sunflower oil in a stream and the rest of ½ cup bean cooking liquid or hot water until smooth, pale and fluffy, like soft mashed potato.
5 minStep 3: For the topping, heat 4 tbsp sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat and cook 2 onions slowly, stirring often, until soft and deep golden.
20 minStep 4: Take the pan off the heat and stir in 1 ½ tsp sweet paprika and 1 tbsp tomato paste; the oil will turn brick-red. Don't let the paprika fry over the flame or it turns bitter.
1 minStep 5: Spread the beans on a plate, make swirls with the back of a spoon and spoon the onions and red oil over the top. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does fasole bătută take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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