Arabic Baked Beans

Quick dinners as a kid were often baked beans on toast, smothered in cheddar and stuck under a hot grill until all melty. I could never be patient enough to wait either, and would burn my tongue on hot cheese lava and tomato sauce (worth it). It’s not uncommon to find some kind of white bean at a Middle Eastern breakfast table, stewed in a tomato-based sauce. This recipe is a happy amalgamation of the two. You can scoop it right out of the pan with warm pitas, or spoon it onto sourdough or baked potatoes and serve it for breakfast, lunch or even dinner.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS 

• 3 plum tomatoes (350g/12oz) 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion, very finely chopped (180g /6 ¼oz)

• 4 garlic cloves, finely grated

• 25g (1oz) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

• 1 green chilli, finely chopped, seeds and all

  LUGMA: Abundant Dishes & Stories From My Middle East Noor Murad

• 2 tsp cumin seeds, finely crushed using a pestle and mortar

• 2 tsp coriander seeds, finely crushed using a pestle and mortar

• 1 tsp paprika

• 3 tbsp tomato paste (purée)

• 1 tsp sugar

• 2 x 400g (14oz) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (480g/1lb 1oz)

• 25g (1oz) fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped

• 120g (4½oz) labneh, bought or homemade (see page 101, made without the garlic), or cream cheese

• 120g (4½oz) mature cheddar, roughly grated (shredded)

• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

For the topping

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 15g (½oz) fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

• 3 spring onions (scallions), green parts only, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS 

Use a small knife to cut around and remove the tomato stems then make a small ‘X’ incision on the opposite end. Place in a medium heatproof bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover by a couple of centimeters (an inch). Leave for about 2–3 minutes, or just until the tomato skins visibly start to peel off. Drain, then carefully remove and discard the skins. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and set aside.

Preheat the oven to its highest setting, placing a rack on the top shelf.

In a large, cast-iron pan (or ovenproof sauté pan), heat the oil over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and ⅛ teaspoon of salt, turn down the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and very lightly coloured. Add the garlic, ginger, green chilli, spices and tomato paste and cook for 2–3 minutes more, stirring often, until deeply red. Pour in 450ml (16fl oz) of water, then stir in the sugar, beans, tomatoes, ¾ teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the tomatoes are only just starting to lose their shape and the sauce has thickened just slightly.

Stir in the coriander and remove from the heat. Top evenly with spoonfuls of the labneh (or cream cheese) then sprinkle with the cheddar. Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until browned and bubbling.

Meanwhile, make the topping. Add all the ingredients plus a tiny pinch of salt to a small frying pan (skillet) and place

over a medium-low heat. Cook gently for about 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until softened and fragrant. You don’t want it to colour at all, so if it starts to bubble too much, turn down the heat to low. Transfer to a bowl.

When the beans are ready, spoon the topping all over the beans and serve warm.

Excerpted with permission from Lugma: Abundant Dishes And Stories From My Middle East by Noor Murad,  published by Quadrille, March 2025. Photographs By Matt Russell

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