Independence: 8. 4. 1993
Capital: Skopje
Official language: Macedonian
Population: 2 058 539
Area: 25 713 km2
International code: MK
Currency: Macedonian denar (MKD)

Tavče Gravče

Ingredients:

• 2 cups White Beans (dry, rehydrated)
• 2 medium Onions, chopped
• 1 cup (or a good handful) Sun Dried tomatoes, halved & seeds removed
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/4 cup Sunflower Oil (or any other oil with a high smoking point - Peanut oil)
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Cumin, ground
• 1 tbsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (2 if you like it spicy)
• 3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp Mint
• 1 Bay leaf (optional)

Instructions:

Put beans in a large pot and cover with water about 1 inch over the beans. Add onions to pot, and an optional bay leaf. Cook on medium-high heat until soft and creamy (about 2 hours), stirring occasionally and topping off with water when it gets low. Look for a stew-like consistency.

**Pre-Heat Oven to 400 at this point**

In a saute pan, add oil and get it very hot. Once hot, add the mint, garlic, paprika, crushed red pepper, and cumin, and any other spices that you want. Stir them around until it’s all fragrant, just about a minute or so, and then stir the oil into the beans. The amount of oil you use is a bit nebulous. When you stir the beans up, they’re supposed to glisten with the oil.

Add the sun-dried tomatoes to the mix. Now you can add any other meats or vegetables (leeks are great in here).

Put the beans in a clay pot, tagine, or a Dutch oven or whatever you have. Bake them at 400 F, for about 30 minutes, or until you reach a nice, thick consistency. Remember, when the beans cool, they will be thicker.

Serve with pita bread, or dense, crusty sourdough. Serving Size: Makes 8 servings of 9.5oz each.

Info:

Tavče Gravče or Fasoulotavas is a traditional Macedonian dish. It is prepared with fresh beans and it can be found in almost all restaurants in Macedonia and all over the Greek and Macedonian diaspora. It is served in traditional earthenware. Tavče Gravče is considered the national dish of the Republic of Macedonia.

Macedonian cuisine is a representative of the cuisine of the Balkans—reflecting Mediterranean (Greek and Turkish) and Middle Eastern influences, and to a lesser extent Italian, German and Eastern European (especially Hungarian) ones. The relatively warm climate in Macedonia provides excellent growth conditions for a variety of vegetables, herbs and fruits. Thus, Macedonian cuisine is particularly diverse. Famous for its rich Šopska salad, an appetizer and side dish which accompanies almost every meal, Macedonian cuisine is also noted for the diversity and quality of its dairy products, wines, and local alcoholic beverages, such as rakija. Tavče Gravče and mastika are considered the national dish and drink of the Republic of Macedonia, respectively.