Serbian Baked Beans – Prebranac

 Serbian baked beans – Prebranac is probably one of the best fasting dishes in Serbia which will make even those "meat eaters" feel full for a very long time and won’t complain about feeling hungry quickly "because they ate only veggies". This dish is often prepared in Serbia during Christmas fast and usually with Serbian baked beans is served Roasted Red Pepper Salad, Ljutenica or Ajvar. For Prebranac is used bean called Tetovac, but any bigger bean such as Butter Bean will do.

Ingredients:

• 0.5 kg Tetovac (Butter Beans) 
• 0.5 kg onion 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 2 teaspoon paprika  powder
• 1 dl oil 
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

1. Wash beans and boil around 20 minutes. 
2. Drain and rinse beans. 
3. Pour 2 l of new water, add beans, salt, pepper and let it cook slowly for about 1 h. 
4. Cooked bean drain but leave water aside in a bowl. 
5. Chop and fry onion. 
6. When onion is ready, add paprika and take off the stove. 
7. Take a baking pan and put thin layer of fried onion, then thicker layer of beans, and continue doing that until everything is used. 
8. Pour saved water slowly and make sure that water covers bean 3-4 cm. 
9. Put dish into the oven and bake on 200 C for about 40 minutes, or until water evaporated and all gets thicker.

 Photo by Jeremy Keith