| 1 lb (2 cups) small navy beans, soaked | | 14 cup olive oil | | 1 lrg onion, finely diced | | 3 sm dried red chilies, seeded | | 15 x garlic cloves, minced | | 1 tbl sweet paprika | | 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper | | 4 tsp ground cumin | | 6 oz tomato paste, canned | | 2 x tomatoes, coarsely chopped | | 7 cup water, or | | vegetable broth | | 2 x bay leaves | | 1/8 tsp cayenne, or to taste | | 20 sprg fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped | | 2 1/2 tsp salt | | 10 sprg fresh cilantro, chopped | | Cider vinegar, or | | red wine vinegar, optional |
| | LOUBIA is an Algerian speciality that gets its flavor from DERSA, a spicy blend of ground dried red chilies (use New Mexican in the US), garlic , and ground cu min. Dersa is a predominant season ing in the cuisine. A dash of vinegar is t raditionally added to each bowl of Loubia on serving. | | Soak and drain the beans . Set aside. | | SOAKING BEANS: Rinse and pick over the beans and soak them overnight in a bowl of water to cover. Drain and proceed with the recipe. For the quick-soak method, place the beans in a large soup pot and add 10 cups of hot water. | | Brin g them to a rolling boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the bean s stand in the cooking water for at least 1 hour, and preferable longer. Drain the beans and proceed with the recipe. The older the beans, the longer they wil l take to cook. (She recommends adding salt to the cooking water: up to 2 teas poons per pound of dried beans.) | | In a large soup pop over medium high heat, heat the oil, and cook the onion , st irring occasionally, until tender; 6 to 8 minutes. Add the chilies, garlic, pap rika, pepper , and cumin . Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato pas te and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and 1 cup of the water or broth and bring to a boil. Add the beans, th e remaining 6 cups water or broth, the bay leaves , cayenne , and 10 of the parsl ey sprigs tied together with cotton string. Mince the remaining parsley and se t aside. Lower the heat to medium low, cover, and cook the beans until tender, 1 to 2 hours. | | Before serving, discard the chilies, bay leaves, and tied parsley. Season with salt. Stir in the reserved minced parsley and cilantro . Serve hot with vinegar on the side, if you like. |
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