Lobio Tkemali
Submitted by colleennurse
Lobio tkemali, a Georgian red bean dish dressed cold in a tangy sauce of prunes, tamarind, and balsamic, spiked with coriander, fenugreek, and chili. A vegan Caucasian bean salad bright with cilantro.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsLobio is the beloved bean dish of the country of Georgia, and this version leans on tkemali, the nation’s tart plum sauce, recreated here with prunes, tamarind, and balsamic. The result is a cold red bean salad that lands savory, sour, and deeply spiced all at once.
First the beans simmer with onion, carrot, and celery, which perfume the pot and then get discarded. Cook them just to tender so they hold their shape in the finished dish instead of collapsing.
The dressing is where it gets interesting. Prunes soften in balsamic, tamarind dissolves into the reserved vinegar, and the two join chili paste and olive oil, then crushed coriander seed and earthy fenugreek, the spice that gives Georgian cooking its signature warmth. Tossed with the beans and a handful of cilantro, it chills a couple of hours so the flavors settle in.
Kitchen Tips
- Stop cooking the beans while they are tender but still whole; mushy beans turn the salad to paste.
- Don’t skip the chill. A couple of hours in the fridge lets the beans drink up the tangy dressing.
- Crush the coriander seeds just before using for the brightest aroma.
- Taste and adjust the sour-salt-heat balance after tossing, since beans soak up seasoning as they sit.
Variations
- Use canned kidney beans to skip the simmering step on a busy day.
- Add chopped walnuts, a Georgian classic, for richness and crunch.
- Stir in fresh dill or basil alongside the cilantro for more herbal lift.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine the beans with the onion, carrot, and celery in a soup pot.
Add enough water to cover the beans by 3-inches and bring to a boil.
Add the salt, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook the beans until tender but not mushy, about 55 minutes or more, depending on the beans.
Meanwhile combine the prunes and the balsamic vinegar in a saucepan and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Remove the prunes with a slotted spoon and reserve the vinegar.
Finely chop the prunes. Add the tamarind concentrate to the vinegar and let stand until dissolved, about 10 minutes.
Stir well and set aside.
Drain the beans and discard the onion, carrot, and celery.
Place the beans in a serving dish and allow to cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together the diluted tamarind mixture, the chili paste, and the olive oil, blending well.
Add the chopped prunes, coriander seeds, and fenugreek, again blending well.
Toss the beans with the tamarind mixture.
Taste and correct the seasoning and stir in the ¼ cup of cilantro leaves.
Refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours before serving.
Serve, garnished with the additional cilantro and the onion rings.
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