Barbunya Pilaki

Barbunya pilaki is a classic dish from Turkish cuisine. It has the best combination of borlotti beans with olive oil, tomato, carrot, and potato flavors. Both kids and adults love it. If you want a light yet tasty and satisfying dish, this recipe is for you!

What is Barbunya Pilaki?

Barbunya pilaki (Turkish style borlotti beans) is one of our favorite Turkish olive oil dishes.

Barbunya is a type of bean that grows in summer. It comes in a pink-striped pod and the beans inside also have pink spots. You can easily find them at farmer’s markets in Turkey, but it might not be that easy elsewhere. 

In Turkish cooking, we make pilaki with fresh barbunya beans, dried beans, or canned ones.

The full name of the dish is barbunya pilaki, but in Turkey people often just call it barbunya. You will even see it written that way on menus. That’s because this pilaki is the only dish made with these beans, so when someone says “barbunya,” it is understood that they mean this recipe.

So what is pilaki? Pilaki is a cooking style. Vegetables or beans are cooked with plenty of olive oil and onions, flavored with lemon juice and garlic, and served cold or at room temperature with a sprinkle of parsley on top.

The most famous pilaki in Turkey is barbunya pilaki. Especially in summer, people enjoy it as a light main dish or as a part of a meze spread next to rakı, the traditional Turkish drink.

Print Recipe

Barbunya Pilaki

Author: kebandkoft Courses: Appetizers

Prep Time 5 mins Cook Time 30 mins Total Time 35 mins

Servings: 4

Description

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.

Ingredients

Servings

• 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)
• 14 oz 14.11 borlotti beans 1 can, drained – see Notes 2 & 3 for using fresh or dried beans
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 0 cups 0.85 hot water
• 2 cloves garlic mashed
• 1 lemon juiced
• 2 tablespoons parsley chopped

Instructions

1. • 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. 14.11 oz borlotti beans, Salt and pepper, 0.85 cups 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

1. 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 Facts

Servings 4

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Amount Per Serving

Calories 330kcal

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 11g17%

Saturated Fat 2g10%

Sodium 69mg3%

Potassium 1142mg33%

Total Carbohydrate 48g16%

Dietary Fiber 15g60%

Sugars 8g

Protein 13g26%

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Vitamin A 6366 IU

Vitamin C 52 mg

Calcium 101 mg

Iron 3 mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Note

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