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Instructions

1. 1 Drain the soaked beans and place them in a large pot with fresh cold water covering them by five centimetres. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for one to one and a half hours until the beans are very tender and the skins start to split.
2. 2 While the beans cook, heat the oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the diced onions for eight minutes until deeply golden and caramelized. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more. Set aside off heat.
3. 3 In a separate bowl, combine the ground walnuts, fenugreek, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, and half the chopped cilantro. This spice-nut mixture is the hallmark of Georgian bean cookery and distinguishes lobio from all other bean dishes.
4. 4 When the beans are tender, drain them, reserving one cup of the cooking liquid. Mash about one-third of the beans roughly with a fork or potato masher, leaving the rest whole. This creates the ideal thick but textured consistency.
5. 5 Combine the mashed and whole beans with the caramelized onions and the walnut-spice mixture. Add the red wine vinegar and enough reserved cooking liquid to create a thick, stew-like consistency. Stir everything together thoroughly over medium heat.
6. 6 Cook the combined mixture for ten minutes, stirring occasionally, to let the flavours meld and the sauce thicken further. The lobio should be thick enough to hold its shape on a plate but still moist and saucy throughout.
7. 7 Stir in the remaining fresh cilantro and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and additional vinegar to taste. Serve the lobio warm or at room temperature in a clay bowl, accompanied by Georgian cornbread (mchadi) and pickled vegetables on the side.