In Turkish cuisine there are an abundant number cold side dishes prepared with olive oil, most of them are vegan. This specific one is with fresh fine beans. There are various methods to prepare this dish.
This recipe is easiest when prepared with a pressure cooker. I strongly suggest that you invest in a pressure cooker. Your investment will really pay off in time and cost. The first one I have is 35 years old, and still good as new. Besides it saves so much time. But if you happen not to have one yet, you can use the same recipe, but you will need to cook longer and add twice as much as water.
To start with let me give some tips about the type of beans to be used. In Turkish markets there are generally two types of beans; aysekadin/French beans and çalı/string beans.
- ayşekadin/French beans are for making beans with meat. They have a thinner skin and the seeds are quite large and make the beans look like they have bubbles in them. They also cook quicker than the other types of green beans (the one on the top) .
- çalı/string beans are more flat and wide and tend to be longer than the French beans. These are more suitable for cold side dishes (the one on the bottom).
When you are choosing beans make sure that they are fresh. Break the bean in the middle and check whether there are stiff stripes in the sides of the bean. If yes, you will have to cut these off. 
If you are not in Turkey and buying packaged fresh or frozen beans, you can still go ahead and try these recipe, believe me it works too.
Enough with all this, lets move on to the recipe. Assuming that you have been lucky to find the right type of beans; wash and cut off and discard the stems on both sides and also cut vertically all the way. If the beans are too long and it might be difficult to eat them you keep them like that, also cut horizontally into halves.
Do not pour the beans to a serving plate before it is cooled. Keep the lid covered until then too. Just to make sure the color does not change. Keep in the fridge. Serve chilled. This dish tends to get better the next day. Goes perfectly well as a side dish with almost any thing. Will be a nice company to a plain pilaf as well.
Afiyet olsun (may this dish bring you health).
Fine Beans with Olive Oil
Ingredients
- 500 grams fine beans
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 2 tomatoes grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse the beans. Cut off a small bit from both ends. Then cut vertically if flat and wide. If long cut into half in the middle.
- Grate the onions or use a food processor.
- Grate the tomatoes or use a food processor.
- Put all the ingredients at once in a pressure cooker or a pot.
- Mix well to blend.
- Start cooking for about 8 minutes until everything is well combined and the beans are some what sautéed. This will help you get all the flavors of everything; the sweetness of the beans and the aroma of the tomatoes.
- If the tomato has left some water, additional water is not necessary. If not add water just enough to cover the bottom.
- Cover the lid. Cook until the beans are done.
- This dish gets better the next day. Keep in the fridge and serve cold as a side dish.