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Indonesian Bean Stew

Serves 4 to 6 Entree vegetarian

Indonesian Bean Stew

Indonesian Bean Stew, a staple on family tables across the archipelago, is crafted with the intuition and heart of home cooks who balance salt by feel and embrace the richness of oil. This dish is a reflection of everyday Indonesian dining, where generous portions are shared and savored together, echoing the warmth of home kitchens.

The stew offers a comforting embrace with its tender beans, subtly sweet onions, and the depth of tomato paste melding into a luscious harmony. The ample use of oil ensures a silky texture, while the seasoned salt and pepper finish creates a foundation of flavors that resonate with the soul of Indonesian home cooking.

Ingredients

  • 400 gdried beans — soaked
  • 1onion
  • 2 tbsptomato paste
  • 80 mloil
  • to tastefine sea salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Begin by soaking 400 g of dried beans in a large bowl of water overnight. This will help soften them and reduce cooking time. Drain and rinse the beans thoroughly before proceeding to the next step.
  2. Chop 1 onion finely and set it aside. In a large pot, heat 80 ml of oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion to the pot and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent and soft, releasing a sweet aroma, which should take about 8-10 minutes.
  3. Add 2 tbsp of tomato paste to the softened onions in the pot. Stir well to combine, allowing the tomato paste to cook and meld with the onions for about 2 minutes. This will deepen the flavor and give the stew a rich, hearty base.
  4. Add the soaked and drained beans to the pot, stirring them into the onion and tomato mixture. Pour in enough water to cover the beans by about 2 cm. Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
  5. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid. Allow the stew to simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and the stew has thickened. This should take about 1 to 1.5 hours. The beans should be soft but not mushy, and the stew should have a creamy consistency.
  6. Season the stew with fine sea salt and black pepper to taste, stirring well to ensure even seasoning. Taste and adjust as needed, keeping in mind that the flavors should be balanced and savory.
  7. Serve the Indonesian Bean Stew warm, ideally with steamed rice or crusty bread. The stew should be rich and aromatic, with a comforting texture that invites sharing around the table.
Cover of Authentic Indonesian Cuisine
From the cookbook

Authentic Indonesian Cuisine

This recipe is from Authentic Indonesian Cuisine by Yassine Sbiti — the Indonesian volume in the ComidaTime International Cuisines series.

Available soon on Amazon…

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