Giant beans in tomato sauce: Φασόλια Γίγαντες

In Greek cuisine we eat a lot of dishes that use legumes. For someone fasting at this time, they can supply a good alternative to meat and give an excellent supply of energy. Despite the fact that there are many things that are not allowed during the fasting period, I feel as though a whole new world of recipes has been opened up to me. In fact, I may go so far as to say that it is during this time that I have eaten the most delicious dishes, fresh, new and inspiring. 


This weekend I decided to make a rather famous Greek dish; giant beans in tomato sauce. It is such a comforting dish, the creamy butter beans in a wonderful rich tomato sauce, laced with fresh herbs and beautiful Mediterranean spices. To accompany them, I prepared some home-made flat garlic bread and this turned out to be a delightful combination. The fresh garlicky bread went perfectly with the zingy tomato based sauce. 


For the bread (makes 2 flat breads):
200g good quality flour
50g semolina
120ml lukewarm water
3.5g dried yeast
Half a teaspoon of raw cane sugar
6 cloves garlic 
50 ml olive oil
Ground black pepper


Mix the flour, semolina and salt together in a bowl. In another bowl mix the yeast, sugar and water together with a fork until the yeast dissolves. Pour the water slowly into the bowl of flour and bring the mixture together with a fork and then your hands. 


Knead the mixture on a surface lightly covered in semolina for around 10 minutes. It should feel soft and elastic, so feel free to add water or extra flour to get the right texture. Roll the dough into a ball, place in a bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place for around 30 minutes.

Using a pestle and mortar, grind up the garlic cloves with the olive oil and some salt. Leave aside.


After 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 220°C and then split the dough ball in two and roll each half out into a large flat circle. Make some slits along the bread and the smother each flatbread with the garlic mixture. Sprinkle with black pepper.


Bake the flatbreads in the oven for about 20 minutes.


For the beans:
1 tin of butter beans (drained and washed)
1 onion
1 clove garlic 
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1 tin chopped tomatoes (or 5 fresh tomatoes peeled and chopped)
Handful of fresh flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon oregano
Pinch of cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste


Preheat the oven to 220°C.


In a pan fry the onions and garlic in some olive oil until soft and lightly browned. Then add the tomato puree and fry for a further minute. Now add the spices and the tomatoes, then finally the butter beans. Cook for 2 minutes over a medium heat.


Now pour everything into a small oven dish. Drizzle with olive oil and bake in the oven for around 20-30 minutes. They should be sizzling when you take them out of the oven. Add the parsley and another drizzle of olive oil and then set on the table to enjoy alongside some wonderful flat bread. 


This is great for lunch or dinner and can be warmed up the next day. If there is bread left over then just wrap it in some cling-film and it will stay soft.