“Aisha Khanem” beans

“Aisha Khanem” beans are one type of bean, with a small grain size and stained red. It is a warming classic dish, usually made during the winter. “Aisha Khanem” beans are cooked with meat in tomato sauce and served with white rice.

But where did this dish come from? Who is Aisha Khanem?

It is the lady or Princess Aisha, the wife of Nasiruddin Shah Qajari, one of the kings of Iran, the most significant of the palace’s women, and the “khanim” means the lady

Aisha Khanem was very popular in the social circles at the time, her fame spread from Iran to India to Syria,

The Story says that the queen liked beans, but due to her prestige the servants looked for a special variety of beans that is their own royal food, unlike the food of the public, and the palace servants continued to search for a distinctive category in vain, until a large commercial convoy arrived from Syria carrying a distinctive type of small grain sized bean and stained red. This variety was new in the market, which made it difficult to sell. They immediately bought most of the quantity and this surprised the Damascene merchant, who later found out that the chefs of the palace began to prepare this type of bean in a special and royal way, so he took from them the recipe, and went with the convoy towards Syria.

In Syria, people began to talk about the importance of this royal dish, which was loved by the queen of Iran, and thus the dish got the name of (Aisha Khanem), and still holds the name so far.

 

Ingredients:

2.5 cups dried white beans

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion chopped

1 kg tomatoes chopped

2 cups water

350 g meat (beef or goat work well)

1 teaspoon salt

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2. all spice

 

Instructions:

1. Soak the beans in water over night

2. Add the olive oil and onion to the cooking pot and Saute until pale in colour

3. Add the meat with salt, pepper, spices, rosemary, cinnamon and cook while occasionally stirring for 10 minutes

Add hot water and cook the meat until soft.

4. Add the soaked and drained beans

5. In a food processor or blender, blend the tomatoes and add it to the pot with garlic.

6. Adjust the salt and pepper. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. Cover and cook until the beans are softened.

Serve with white rice aside.

 

Lara Kh.