Diethood » Recipes » Dinner Recipes » One Pot Meals » Savory Sundays: Macedonian Style Baked Beans {Tavce Gravce}

Savory Sundays: Macedonian Style Baked Beans {Tavce Gravce}

Тавче Гравче
Macedonian Style Baked Beans {Tavce Gravce} via www.diethood.com | #recipe #dinner #beans #tavcegravce
Like any true Macedonian kitchen, a weekly menu without Tavce Gravce (TAHV-cheh GRAHV-cheh), or Macedonian Style Baked Beans, does not exist. It’s a Friday staple. Most Macedonians are Christian Orthodox, thus in a traditional Macedonian home Friday night dinner is meatless.

Today’s post is part of World on a plate, a monthly blogging cultural exchange where a group of bloggers from different corners of the world get together once a month to “interpret a food through the lens of their home country cooking” on the last Sunday of the month. Each blogger will produce a dish featuring the food chosen that is typical of his or her home country and talk a bit about the dish. This month’s theme is auspicious food.

And no other food screams success and prosperity more than beans! ;-D

No, really! Beans, in some cultures, represent fortune and growth because of their shape; they look like coins and thus represent prosperity.

In the South, black-eyed peas symbolize good luck and are traditionally prepared on New Year’s Day. In other countries, beans, pomegranates, pork, among other things, act as good fortune and are eaten on New Year’s Day in hopes of a great year ahead.

Macedonian Style Baked Beans {Tavce Gravce} via www.diethood.com | #recipe #dinner #beans #tavcegravce
Because New Year’s Day is during Christmas Lent for those of us that follow the Julian Calendar, a traditional Macedonian household will have Tavce Gravce on the table this New Year’s Day because it is one, customary, and two, because it is meatless.

This is Macedonia’s National Dish. It is a traditional meal that dates back centuries, and its preparation method has changed ever so slightly to accommodate today’s cook. Home cooks would prepare this dish a day in advance by placing the beans in a dutch oven over wood fire to slowly cook through the night and be ready just in time for lunch the next day.

Nowadays, instead of a wood fire, we use our oven. And, instead of waiting an entire night for the meal to cook, Tavce Gravce is now done in about 2 hours. If you use canned beans, it can be done in 30 minutes! But, don’t do that. You will kill the tradition, and my ancestors will haunt me in my dreams tonight. I did that once and my Mother just about murdered me… it’s that serious. 😀

You can enjoy Tavce Gravce as a side dish to any meal, or as a meal on its own with a side-salad sprinkled with white sheep cheese or feta cheese, and a loaf of crusty bread.

Macedonian Style Baked Beans {Tavce Gravce} via www.diethood.com | #recipe #dinner #beans #tavcegravce
ENJOY!

Please click below to see all the wonderful dishes from the rest of the World on a plate participants!

Macedonian Style Baked Beans {Tavce Gravce}

Macedonian Style Baked Beans {Tavce Gravce}

Katerina | Diethood
Baked beans made Macedonian-style, with red dried peppers and onions.
5 from 1 vote
Servings : 8 servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups Great Northern Beans , washed and cleaned according to the directions on the package
  • Water
  • 3 tablespoons Canola Oil
  • 1 large onion , quartered
  • 2 dried whole chili peppers
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 large onion , sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Chopped parsley
For the Roux {???}
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 2 tablespoons paprika

Instructions
 

  • Place the beans in a 5-qt. or 6-qt. pot and cover with water about 2 inches above the beans.
  • Pour in the oil.
  • Add in the quartered onions and dried chili peppers
  • Cook the beans over medium-high heat until soft, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
  • Stir often and add warm water as it evaporates. You are looking for a stew-like consistency.
Once the beans are cooked, prepare the roux. Do not remove beans from heat.
  • Slightly heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
  • Stir in the paprika and keep stirring until just thoroughly combined and fragrant.
  • Pour the roux into the pot with the beans and stir.
  • Mix in a tablespoon of salt and continue to boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Preheat oven to 400.
  • Carefully pour the beans into a large casserole dish, a dutch oven, or a large clay pot. You don't want to pour in all the water; add enough water to barely cover the beans.
  • Place the sliced rounds of onions and the cooked chili peppers on top as garnish.
  • Taste for salt and pepper.
  • Bake the beans for 30 minutes, or until a crusty layer forms on top of the beans.
  • Remove and let cool 15 minutes before serving.
  • Add chopped parsley for garnish.

Notes

You can enjoy Tavce Gravce as a side dish to any meal, or as a meal on its own with a side-salad sprinkled with white sheep cheese or feta cheese, and a loaf of crusty bread.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 290 kcal | Carbohydrates: 22 g | Protein: 7 g | Fat: 19 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 0 mg | Sodium: 876 mg | Potassium: 426 mg | Fiber: 7 g | Sugar: 1 g | Vitamin A: 895 IU | Vitamin C: 3.2 mg | Calcium: 71 mg | Iron: 2.3 mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

Course: Side Dish/Dinner
Cuisine: Macedonian
Keyword: baked beans from scratch, homemade baked beans, vegan baked beans
Did you make this recipe?Leave a Rating!

Categories:

Scroll to Top