The Middle East is often portrayed as being so foreign, wild even. Yet many times when I have introduced a friend or colleague to an Arabic dish, they welcome it with familiarity; their grandmother from Malta or Cyprus used to make something like it, or they've had something similar at their favorite Greek restaurant. This recipe is one of them.
Growing up, we ate this fasoulia bi zeit - green beans stewed in a rich, garlicky tomato sauce, bi zeit meaning "in oil" - as part of a mezze spread, or at family gatherings quite regularly. This preparation sees the beans eaten cold or at room temperature, spiced with mint and drizzled with oil, for a fresh but filling vegetarian dish.
Fasoulia is also commonly made with beef or lamb, seasoned with the warmer spices of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and served hot over rice. This meat version with rice, fasoulia w ruz, is gorgeous with white beans if the green ones are out of reach.
Either way, my little trick is to keep the garlic cloves whole, and let them slowly sweeten and melt into the savory sauce.
GREEN BEANS WITH TOMATO AND GARLIC
FASOULIA BI ZEIT
Provisions:
1kg / 2lb fresh green beans
5 whole cloves garlic
1 medium onion
1 400g / 14oz can good-quality roma tomatoes
1 tsp dried mint, plus more for garnish (or dill)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil, for sautéing
Water
Method:
Wash the green beans well and pat dry with a clean towel. Trim the ends and set aside. Peel the garlic (leaving them whole), and finely dice the onion.
Heat a drop (about 1 tbsp) of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onions, and saute 4-5 minutes until softened, but not browned. Stir in the garlic and sauté an additional minute, until fragrant.
Add the beans and the tomatoes to the pot, plus 1/3 of the tomato can full of water. Fold the beans, tomatoes, garlic and onions together until well coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle the mint on top.
Bring to the boil then cover and simmer on low heat for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the lid, turn up the heat to medium, and simmer an additional 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened to your liking (I prefer it to coat the vegetables without being too runny).
Serve hot or cold, sprinkled with extra mint and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.
Audio pairing: Gotye, "Easy Way Out"








