Margat Fasoulia — Print Recipe

Tender white beans simmered with lamb chunks in a rich, tomato-based sauce spiced with baharat and dried lime. This hearty Iraqi bean stew is the ultimate cold-weather comfort food.

Ingredients

2 cups dried white beans, soaked overnight
500g lamb stew meat, cubed
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 dried limes (loomi), pierced
1 tsp baharat
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley for garnish
Steamed rice for serving

Instructions

1 Drain soaked beans and set aside. Brown lamb cubes in oil over high heat until deeply caramelized on all sides.
2 Add diced onion and garlic, cooking for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in tomato paste, baharat, and turmeric.
3 Add the drained beans, dried limes, and enough water to cover everything by 5cm. Bring to a boil.
4 Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 1 hour until beans are creamy and lamb is fork-tender.
5 Season with salt and pepper. The stew should be thick and rich — if too thin, simmer uncovered for 10 more minutes.
6 Serve hot over steamed white rice, garnished with fresh parsley. Offer pickled vegetables alongside.

Did You Know?

Iraqi grandmothers judge a fasoulia by whether the beans are creamy enough to melt on the tongue — anything with a firm center is considered undercooked.