Good evening, Raffies!
Tonight we are going to the country with one of my favourite flags: Macedonia!
We are making a traditional Macedonian dinner: Tavče gravče.
This dish is usually served on a Friday night and, since most Macedonians are Christian Orthodox, it is often meatless. It is said that every real Macedonian household serves Tavče gravče once a week.
This simple dish consists of baked white beans with chilies, pepper, onions and oil.
For my recipe, I have used this version. Since several photos showed a sausage on the beans, I decided to dig deeper and was able to find some loukanika to accompany with the dish.
Ingredients:
2-3 cans beans
3 tbsp Olive oil
1 onion, quartered
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp paprika
2 chilies
Loukanika sausages
Water
Salt
Pepper
Fresh parsley, chopped
In a pot, place the beans. Add some water and bring to a boil.
Add the oil and the quartered onions and the chilies and bring to a boil. Cook for about 5-10 minutes on low heat. If you are using dried beans, cook for 1-2 hours, or until soft.
In a small sauce pan, mix the a few spoons of oil with the paprika powder and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Now, pour the beans with the onions and the chilies into an oven proof dish and add the paprika mix. Mix well and season with salt and pepper. There should be barely enough water to cover the beans.
Place the sliced onions on top and the loukanika in the middle. Bake in the oven at 180º C for about 30 minutes.
Garnish with the parsley and serve with some bread and salad.
I actually did not expect to like this dish this much, but I must say that it is delicious! And furthermore, it is really easy to make. You should try it sometime!
Love,
Raffi
