Black eye beans, known as börülce in Turkish, are small cream-coloured legumes with a dark spot, valued for their mild, slightly nutty flavour and soft, creamy texture once cooked. This 500 g Bodrum Farm Selection pack contains the dried beans, ready to be soaked and cooked at home.
In Turkish cooking börülce is the base of the classic börülce salatası, dressed with olive oil, lemon, garlic and parsley, and of zeytinyağlı börülce, often cooked with onion and carrot. It also goes well in soups, stews, pilaf and wraps. Rinse the beans and soak them in plenty of cold water for at least five hours or overnight. Drain, cover with fresh water, bring to the boil and boil for about 10 minutes, skimming off the foam, then simmer gently until tender, usually an hour to an hour and a half. Add salt and anything acidic, such as lemon or tomato, only once the beans are soft, as they can toughen the skins.
Keep the unopened pack, and any leftover dry beans in an airtight container, in a cool, dry place. Cooked beans keep in the refrigerator for a few days.