Baked Beans Recipe for Serbian Prebranac

Baked Beans Recipe for Serbian Prebranac

This Serbian recipe for baked beans or prebranac is perfect for Lent or other fasting times in the Orthodox Christian tradition because it contains no meat, butter, eggs or milk, which are prohibited.
This dish is as much starch as it is vegetable and can be served as a vegetarian main course or side dish.

Total: 105 mins
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 90 mins
Yield: 1 pound (6 servings)

Ingredients

1 pound beans
1/4 cup plus 3/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoons dill (fresh or 1 teaspoon dried)
5 large onions (chopped)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 can/16 ounces tomato sauce (with bits of tomato)
2 teaspoons paprika (sweet or hot)
salt to taste
black pepper (to taste)
1 1/2 cups water

Steps to Make It

Pick over beans and rinse. Place beans in 4 quarts water. When it comes to a boil, skim off any foam that rises to the top. Add salt to taste, 1/4 cup oil and 1 teaspoon dried dill or 1 tablespoon fresh dill. Simmer until beans are tender. Drain, rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside.
Heat oven to 350 F. In a large Dutch oven or lidded casserole dish or roaster, heat 3/4 cup oil and sauté onions until translucent. Add garlic and sauté until onions are tender. Add tomato sauce, paprika, salt, and pepper to taste, dill to taste and water. Mix in the beans, cover and bake 45 minutes, adding more water, if necessary.