Cheesy Arabic Tomato Beans (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Main Ingredients
01 -
25g fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
02 -
1 teaspoon sugar
03 -
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, crushed into a powder
04 -
25g fresh ginger, peeled and grated finely
05 -
4 garlic cloves, grated into a paste
06 -
3 tablespoons olive oil
07 -
1 green chilli, chopped finely with seeds intact
08 -
1 teaspoon paprika
09 -
Fine sea salt and black pepper, freshly ground
10 -
2 teaspoons coriander seeds, crushed to a powder
11 -
2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (400g each, 480g total)
12 -
3 plum tomatoes, about 350g
13 -
1 onion, chopped really fine (180g)
14 -
3 tablespoons tomato paste
15 -
120g mature cheddar, grated roughly
16 -
120g labneh or cream cheese
→ Topping
17 -
15g fresh ginger, peeled and chopped very small
18 -
3 garlic cloves, chopped into tiny pieces
19 -
3 spring onions (scallions), only green part, finely chopped
20 -
3 tablespoons olive oil
# Instructions:
01 -
Grab a small knife to cut around the stems of the tomatoes. Flip them over and score an 'X' on the other end. Put them in a medium-sized bowl, pour boiling water over the top, and let them soak for a couple of minutes until the skin starts to peel. Drain them, get rid of the skin, slice into quarters, and set aside.
02 -
Crank up your oven to the hottest setting and slide a rack onto the top level.
03 -
Heat the oil in a large cast-iron or oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Toss in the onion along with a small pinch of salt. Lower the heat to medium, stirring now and then, and cook until lightly golden and softened—about 10 minutes. Mix in the garlic, ginger, green chilli, spices, and tomato paste. Stir for another few minutes until it turns a deep red color.
04 -
Pour in 450ml of water, then mix in the sugar, beans, tomatoes, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt, and some freshly cracked black pepper. Let it bubble gently for around 12 minutes, stirring sometimes, until the sauce thickens slightly and the tomatoes just start losing their shape.
05 -
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the chopped coriander. Spoon dollops of labneh (or cream cheese) evenly across the top, then scatter grated cheddar on top. Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 12–15 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden.
06 -
For the topping, put all its ingredients with a tiny pinch of salt in a small frying pan over medium-low heat. Stir once in a while, cooking gently for 12–15 minutes until everything softens and smells amazing. Turn down the heat if it starts bubbling too much, keeping it from browning. Move the mixture to a bowl afterward.
07 -
Once the beans are ready, spoon that delicious topping all over and enjoy it warm.
# Notes:
01 -
If you can’t find or make labneh, cream cheese works just as well as a substitute.