Introduction: In this blog post, we are excited to share with you a traditional Georgian recipe called Lobiani. This dish is made with a combination of kidney beans, butter, and spices, wrapped in a flavorful homemade dough. Lobiani is a delicious and satisfying meal that can be enjoyed any time of the day.
Ingredients: For the Lobiani mixture:
- 500 grams of kidney beans
- 100 grams of butter
- 4 or 5 bay leaves
- 2 cloves of garlic (optional)
- Salt
For the Lobiani dough:
- 1 kilo of flour
- 25 grams of dry active yeast
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 400 ml of warm water
Preparation:
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Lobiani mixture: Soak the beans overnight (or at least for 3 hours) to soften them. Add the beans to a pot of water and boil for 3-4 minutes. Drain the water, then add the beans, bay leaves, salt, and garlic to a pressure cooker. Cover with water and seal the pressure cooker. Boil the beans in the pressure cooker for 1 hour.
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Remove the beans from the pressure cooker, then add the beans (excluding the bay leaves and garlic) along with salt (to taste) and 100 grams of butter to a mixing bowl. Thoroughly mix the beans and butter until they reach the consistency of mashed potato.
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Lobiani dough: In a mixing bowl, combine 800 grams of flour, 25 grams of yeast, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 egg. Add 400 ml of warm water, then cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour. Add 100 grams of flour and knead the dough until it is fairly firm.
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Dust a work surface with flour and divide the dough into 4 balls. Flatten each ball with your hands to create a 1 cm thick circle.
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Place a portion of the bean mixture in the center of each dough circle. Wrap the edges of the dough around the mixture to seal it in. Carefully flatten the dough, spreading the mixture to within 4-5 millimeters of the edge.
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Bake the Lobiani in an oven at low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Alternatively, you can cook the dough in a pan over low-medium heat for 7 minutes on each side. Traditional Lobiani is quite pale in appearance.
Serving: After removing the Lobiani from the oven or pan, rub butter on the surface to give it some color and prevent it from becoming hard. Serve hot and enjoy your traditional Georgian Lobiani!