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–+ servings

Tavče Gravče (Macedonian Baked Beans)

5 from 4 votes
Macedonian Tavče Gravče takes baked beans to the next level. Slow-cooked with onions, peppers and plenty of paprika, this rich and aromatic dish brings simple ingredients to life with bold and earthy flavors. It's traditionally vegan and perfect as a main course, if paired with bread, or as a delicious side, with warmth and comfort in every bite.
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Prep Time35 minutes
+ Soaking overnight 12 hours
Total Time2 hours 45 minutes
Servings4

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker, (I recommend Fissler Vitavit Premium 3.5l or larger), optional

Ingredients 
 

  • 320 g dried white kidney beans (like cannellini), or 2 x 570g jars or 3 x 400g cans, see note below
  • 2 tbsp salt (28g)
  • 2 large onions (400g)
  • 7 large garlic cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 long dried chillis
  • 2 long red peppers (like Romano, 200g)
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil (or olive oil, plus extra for drizzling)
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste (25g)
  • 1 heaped tsp plain flour (10g)
  • 3 tbsp sweet paprika (25g)
  • 1 tsp freshly crushed black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried mint
  • crusty bread (to serve)

Instructions 

  1. Soak the beans with 1 tablespoon (14g) of the salt in around 1.5l of water overnight. If using a pressure cooker, you don’t need to add the salt.
  2. The next day, drain and rinse the beans and add them to a large saucepan with 2 litres of water. Peel one of the onions, cut it in half widthways (through the equator) and add one half to the beans, reserving the other half as a garnish later on. Peel 4 of the garlic cloves and add them to the beans together with the bay leaves and dried chillies. Bring to a boil, skim off any froth, then reduce the heat and simmer with a lid left slightly ajar for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until tender. Alternatively, cook for 8 minutes with 1l of water in a pressure cooker (saves 1 hour and 20 minutes of the total cooking time). Set aside the chillies, bay leaves and, separately, the onion and garlic, then drain the beans but keep the cooking liquid.
  3. Meanwhile slice the set aside raw onion half into thick rings, slice the red peppers and set both aside for later.
  4. When the beans have around 10 minutes left, pre-heat the oven to 200 °C (392 °F) (180 °C (356 °F)). Heat the oil over medium-low heat in a frying pan. Peel and finely chop the remaining onion and sauté in the oil until translucent (6-8 minutes). Peel and grate or crush in in the remaining 3 garlic cloves and continue cooking until aromatic. Stir in the tomato paste, then mix in the flour and paprika, followed by 200ml of the bean cooking liquid to turn it into a sauce. Turn off the heat.
  5. Transfer the beans to a 28cm-wide terracotta dish or shallow casserole. Use a fork or knife to mash up the cooked onion and garlic that you set aside earlier and add them to the casserole followed by the sauce, pepper, mint, remaining 1 tablespoon of salt (14g) and another 200ml of the cooking liquid. Give it a stir.
  6. Stir in the red pepper slices, squish in the onion rings and place the chillies and bay leaves inbetween as a garnish. Spoon some of the sauce over the onions to caramelise while roasting, then drizzle everything with a little more oil and bake for 30 minutes until the onions are slightly charred and the beans look gnarly. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes, during which it’ll thicken further. Discard the bay leaves and chillies and serve with some crusty bread.

Video

Notes

If using jarred or canned beans, simply start with step 3 and use fresh water instead of the bean cooking liquid. Skip the mashed onion half and garlic cloves, but add the raw bay leaves and chillis to the dish before roasting. Jarred chickpeas are often pre-seasoned, so make sure to add less salt (1/2 tsp per jar).
Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.