Gigandes Plaki

Giant Baked Beans (Gigandes Plaki)

Possibly also spelled Ghigandhes Plaki.

Inspired by the dish served at Golden Festival.  https://goldenfest.org/

A bottle of white beans in tomato from the Polish store looked like it would be an easy starting point to try this dish.  At Goldenfest we use canned greek giant beans. Butter beans would be a close substitute.  These were good, but I will try to use more tomato and start with dried beans next time.

Attempt one:

About 3 1/2 cups white beans in tomato (1 bottle)
1 small tomato, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 inch cinnamon stick
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
2 Bay leaves
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Olive oil
Pinch red pepper
1/2 teaspoon Urfa chile pepper
(a pinch sugar, if needed–not used here)

Sauté onion

Add garlic

Add carrots and celery

Add pepper

Add tomatoes

Add spices and simmer

Add beans. Move to a baking dish. Scatter feta on top. Drizzle olive in on top

Bake covered 350 about an hour

Onions

Garlic

Carrots and celery

Tomatoes

Red bell pepper

Oregano, paprika, red pepper, Urfa pepper, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick

The finished dish

Podvarak

Serbian cabbage dish.  Said to be a cure for hangovers.

Attempt one.  Based on several internet recipes and the ingredients from the podvarak served at Golden Festival.  https://goldenfest.org/

I planned to serve it to my Hungarian father-in-law, so I deliberately kept the sauerkraut to a minimum and did not use smoked paprika.

2 cups sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
6 cups shredded cabbage (about 2 lbs)
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot, grated
2 tsp garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon urfa pepper
3 bay leaves
3/4 cup white rice, rinsed
2 1/4 cups stock/water
6 slices cooked bacon
sunflower oil
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

• Heat sunflower oil, add carrots and onions.  Cook to soften.
• Add garlic, bay leaves, pepper and rice. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
• Add cabbage and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Add paprika and urfa pepper.  Stir and immediately add sauerkraut, bacon, salt, pepper, and stock.
• Move to a baking dish.  Drizzle in a little extra virgin olive oil
• Bake covered 1 hour.  Uncover and bake a little longer to evaporate liquid and brown

Notes:

Used a food processor to shred cabbage and onion and grate carrot.

Shredded cabbage

Onions and carrots

Baking

Finished dish