Gigantes Plaki (Gigandes Greek Baked 'Giant' Beans)
Filling and super-healthy! A traditional Greek Gigantes beans recipe (gigantes plaki), made of ‘giant’ beans baked in a tomato sauce with plenty of fresh herbs, for a unique taste!
- Prep time
- 5 min
- Cook time
- 2 hr 15 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 500g gigantes beans (17 ounces)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 small clove of garlic
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4-5 tbsps parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 tbsp celery, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup of hot water
- 400g (14 ounces) tinned chopped tomatoes or 600g (21 ounces) ripped fresh tomatoes, grated
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- 1
To prepare the gigantes (Gigsntes) plaki, start by soaking the gigantes beans overnight into plenty of water. Drain them into a colander and rinse with plenty of water.
- 2
Place the gigantes in a large pan with cold water, enough to cover them, add a pinch of sea salt and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 45 minutes, until tender but not cooked. Drain them in a colander and set aside.
- 3
In the meantime, pour into a large baking pan the olive oil, add the chopped onions, the whole garlic clove (peeled) and bake at 180C, until softened and slightly colored (approx. 15 minutes).
- 4
Turn the baking pan out of the oven. Add the gigantes beans (drained), the celery, the parsley, ½ cup of hot water and season with salt and pepper. Put back in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- 5
Turn the baking tray out of the oven, blend the gigantes beans lightly with a wooden spoon and pour in the grated tomatoes or plum tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, add a pinch of oregano and bake the gigantes plaki further for 50-60 minutes at 180C, until the beans are soft and tender and the sauce thickens.
- 6
For an easier alternative, after soaking the gigantes beans overnight, drain and rinse them. Place in a large pan with enough water to cover them and bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes, drain them and place into a large baking pan, along with all of the ingredients, cover with some aluminum foil and bake at 180C for approx. 2 hours. The last 30 minutes, bake without the aluminium foil. Enjoy!