chop, mash, sauté

I cooked some lubya for Rachel yesterday— lubya is a Lebanese dish of green beans in a tomato sauce, super easy to make and really healthy. I miss cooking. I haven't done much of it in Istanbul, so it felt wonderful to chop, mash and sauté. Everyone in my family makes lubya slightly differently; I throw in some cilantro and keep the green beans crunchy— which could be sacrilegious to some, but it tastes really good.

olive oil
green beans
1 large onion, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
2 large garlic cloves
handful of chopped cilantro
1 can of tomato paste
2 pinches of cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Mash the garlic with some salt in a mortar and pestle if you've got one— I prefer to mash my garlic than slice it, as the flavour is more intense. Sauté the onions in olive oil, I'm going to say about 1/4 of a cup— you want a considerable amount. When the onions get soft, throw in the garlic and keep sautéing for about a minute, then add the cumin. Add the cilantro, then the tomatoes. Throw in the green beans once the tomatoes' water starts to get released. Stir for about 2 minutes then add the tomato paste and stir until the paste is well mixed with all the ingredients. Add water until you get a nice sauce that's on the thicker side, not too chunky, but you definitely don't want it thin and runny. I let the mixture cook for about fifteen minutes because I can't stand a limp vegetable, but my mom lets her lubya cook until the beans are soft and flexible. Add your salt and pepper to your liking and serve over rice.