Lobio (Georgian Bean Pot with Mchadi) 🥘

Modo de preparo

1. 1

   Drain the beans, cover with fresh water and simmer until very soft, 1-1.5 hours, topping up so they stay under water; salt near the end. Drain, saving the cooking liquid.

2. 2

   Fry the grated onion in oil with ground coriander seeds until jammy and golden, then stir in the fenugreek, khmeli suneli and garlic for thirty seconds only so the spices bloom, not burn.

3. 3

   Pound half the beans roughly in a mortar (traditionally in the clay pot with a wooden pestle), fold in the fried onion-spice mixture, walnut paste and most of the chopped herbs; loosen with bean liquid until creamy but holding.

4. 4

   Tip into an individual clay pot (keti), smooth the top, dot with butter and bake at 180 C for 20-25 minutes until a skin forms and the edges hiss.

5. 5

   Meanwhile make mchadi: whisk cornmeal with salt and hot water to a thick batter, spoon into a hot oiled pan and fry two-sided until golden crusts crackle. Serve the lobio in its pot at the table with mchadi wedges and pickles.