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Overhead shot of Turkish barbunya pilaki in a white enamel dish, garnished with parsley and lemon slices.
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Barbunya Pilaki

By Zerrin & Yusuf
Barbunya pilaki is a classic Turkish olive oil dish made with borlotti beans, fresh tomatoes, carrots, and potatoes. Light, tasty, and wholesome. Perfect as a meze or a simple main dish.
Yields: 4 servings
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PREP 5 minutes
COOK 30 minutes
TOTAL 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS
 
 

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1 Turkish green pepper, banana pepper or ½ small green bell pepper, diced
  • 2 medium carrots diced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 medium potato diced
  • 4 large tomatoes pureed (about 350 ml when pureed) – see Note 1
  • 400 g borlotti beans 1 can, drained – see Notes 2 & 3 for using fresh or dried beans
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 200 ml hot water
  • 2 cloves garlic mashed
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 2 tablespoons parsley chopped

INSTRUCTIONS
 

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook until translucent. 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 medium onion
  • Add the diced pepper and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring often. 1 Turkish green pepper, banana pepper
  • Stir in the carrots, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat a little if it gets too dry. 2 medium carrots
  • Add the tomato paste, stir, then add the potatoes. Cook for a few minutes, stirring often. 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 medium potato
  • Pour in the pureed tomatoes, stir, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 10–15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. 4 large tomatoes
  • Add the drained borlotti beans (barbunya), salt, pepper, and hot water. Stir and cook covered for about 5 minutes. 400 g borlotti beans, Salt and pepper, 200 ml hot water
  • Stir in the mashed garlic and lemon juice, and cook for 1 more minute. 2 cloves garlic, 1 lemon
  • Remove from the heat and let it cool completely in the pan (see Note 3).
  • Once at room temperature, drizzle with extra olive oil (see Note 4).
  • Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with extra lemon wedges on the side (see Note 5). 2 tablespoons parsley

NOTES

  1. We recommend using fresh tomatoes for this recipe, no matter the season. Canned tomatoes work too, but the taste will be different. To puree, peel the tomatoes and blend them, or grate them with skin on and discard the leftover skin – just like it’s often done in Turkish homes.
  2. To use dried borlotti beans (cranberry beans), start with 250 grams. Soak overnight, drain, then cook in a pot of water: bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook partially covered until tender but not mushy (about 50–60 minutes). Drain and continue with the recipe.
  3. To use fresh barbunya, start with about 1 kilo in pods. Once you shell them, you will have around 400–500 grams of fresh beans. Cook them in boiling water for about 10 minutes, until slightly tender. Drain and then continue with the rest of the recipe.
  4. Barbunya pilaki is traditionally served at room temperature, but you can enjoy it warm if you prefer.
  5. Drizzling with extra olive oil after cooling is optional. Turks love olive oil and often add more right before serving.
  6. We always keep extra lemon on the table, so everyone can squeeze more juice on their portion if they like, and we usually do!

NUTRITION

Calories: 330kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 13gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 69mgPotassium: 1142mgFiber: 15gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 6366IUVitamin C: 52mgCalcium: 101mgIron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

ADDITIONAL INFO

Course Lunch
Cuisine Turkish
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