This dish always reminds me of New Year celebrations in Armenia, when every table had it and every hostess discussed the subtleties of their version – ‘I add onions to mine’, ‘I always use dill with it’, or ‘the best beans to use is Gorisi lobi (beans from Goris – a city in Armenia, famed for its beans)’.
The version I make is a very simple and easy. It’s a great starter and looks and tastes good with crackers and canapes.
You will need:
1 cup of dried red kidney beans (I often substitute or mix them with borlotti beans, or indeed with Goris beans, because they truly are the best)
Several cloves of garlic (depending on your personal preferences)
A handful of walnuts (the more the better)
Ground black and red pepper
Butter
Seeds of ¼ pomegranate
Dill or parsley (optional)
Preparation:
Soak overnight and cook the beans until soft. Drain the beans and reserve a small amount of the cooking water
Puree them until smooth in the food processor with a bit of the cooking water, half a cup of walnuts (some people slightly toast them beforehand), garlic, salt, black and red pepper.
Some recipes mention dill and/or parsley then blended with the rest of the ingredients, but I like the richness and simplicity of these 3 main ingredients. Similarly, I’ve seen versions with raw or sautéed onions but I think it dilutes the taste of the beans and the walnuts.
My mother always adds some butter to the mix too, to make it richer and smoother, and before serving would cover in a few drops of olive oil to make the pate look shiny.
I serve it a bowl, although the pâté is thicker than a typical dip and has to be spread on a piece of bread or a cracker. A more sophisticated version, popular in Armenia, is to serve it layered with butter, like a cake or a roulade – absolutely delicious and very rich.
Add some pomegranate seeds on top to garnish and give it some contrasting taste.
And of course – my lazy version is to pour some beans straight from a can to a food processor, with walnuts and garlic salt, and within minutes you have a creamy, delicious pate, which can be moulded into a bowl or any other shape dish you prefer.
By Tato Ayvazyan