Iahnie de fasole was one of my favourite mains as a child. In Romania this is usually served with scovergi (homemade fried bread), as you can see in the picture, in the background. My mother added a bit of mint and I loved that and this is why I always add it myself. I’ve used traditional plates, made by hand in Romania, as I like using these from time to time.

If you don’t have loose mint, then you can use half of teabag of mint, for tea. But just make sure it is only mint and not a mix with green tea or another kind of tea as that might change the taste. The size of the servings is quite big, but this is inline with the Romanian tradition. Keep in mind that mint is not one of the herbs usually added to this dish, so it’s a matter of choice. Another change which I made was to add only a very small amount of oil, as this is how my husband and I prefer our food.

Ingredients for Iahnie de fasole. 2 servings:

– 450g beans, drained
– 1 can of chopped tomatoes
– 3 medium onions
– 1 small to medium carrot
– 1 spoon of oil
– dried basil, parsley, dill (1 tsp of each)
– 1/4 tsp of mint
– salt
– pepper

Iahnie de fasole is very easy to make. Start by chopping the onions. Heat the oil in a pan and toss them in. Stir and leave to cook for a few minutes. Meanwhile, grate the carrot, and add it to the pan. Stir again. Add a bit of water so the onions do not catch the bottom of the pan. After 7-8 minutes, add the chopped tomatoes and stir. Leave to cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Now is time to add the beans and the herbs and spices. Stir so all the ingredients are incorporated. Leave to cook for another 5-10 minutes. The iahnie de fasole is now ready to be served.