Iahnie de fasole de post (Romanian bean stew)

Ingredients

• 250 g dried beans
• 1500 ml warm water for soaking
• 6000 ml boiling water for cooking
• 1 medium onion (150 g)
• 1 medium carrot (100 g)
• 1 red pepper (150 g)
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 500 ml bean cooking liquid
• 2 medium onions (300 g)
• 30 g tomato paste or 200 ml tomato juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 30 ml cold water
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 15 g fresh dill

Preparation

1. Pick over and rinse 250 g of beans, then soak them for 8 hours in 1500 ml of warm water. 2. Drain the beans and put them on to boil in 1500 ml of boiling water. Change the water three times, each time using another 1500 ml of boiling water. In the last water, add the diced onion, diced carrot and pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of the 3 tablespoons of oil. Boil for 90 minutes in total, until the beans crush easily between your fingers, then set aside 500 ml of the cooking liquid and drain the beans. 3. In the empty pot, sauté the 2 diced onions in 2 tablespoons of oil and 250 ml of the bean cooking liquid. After 5 minutes, add 30 g of tomato paste or 200 ml of tomato juice and let the sauce simmer for another 10 minutes, until it thickens. 4. Add the drained beans to the sauce, then add another 250 ml of the cooking liquid, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. If the sauce is too thin, mix 1 tablespoon of flour with 30 ml of cold water and pour it into the pot. Boil for 15 minutes, until it thickens; stir in the thyme and chopped dill at the end.