Turkish Kuru Fasulye with Pastırma & Butter Pilaf

Kuru fasulye is Turkey's national soul food: white beans slow-braised until they're creamy and tender in a rich, ruby-red tomato sauce, then spooned over buttery vermicelli rice.

Here, the stew gets an extra layer of savory depth from cured pastırma beef, with its signature fenugreek coating. A crunchy pickled pepper on the side brightens every bite. This is the kind of meal that fills the kitchen with a deep, comforting aroma and makes everyone gather around the table.

This recipe brings the authentic taste of a Turkish home kitchen to your stove. Dried white beans are soaked overnight, then simmered low and slow with onion, tomato and red pepper pastes, and beef broth until the sauce turns velvety. The pastırma beef adds a subtle spiced, cured flavor that infuses the beans as they cook.

Served over butter rice pilaf with vermicelli, and with pickled turşu peppers on the side, it's a complete, satisfying meal. The method is simple: sauté, simmer, and serve. The result is deeply flavorful and endlessly comforting.

Ingredients

Why this recipe works

Slow-braising the beans in a covered pot lets them absorb the seasoned broth gradually, so they become creamy inside without turning to mush. The gentle simmer allows the starches to release and thicken the sauce naturally, creating that signature velvety texture. Starting with soaked beans ensures even cooking and reduces the simmering time, making the dish practical for a weeknight.

Sautéing the pastırma with the onion and butter first builds a flavor base that the rest of the stew draws from. The cured beef's fat renders into the butter, carrying its fenugreek and garlic notes throughout the dish. Blooming the tomato and pepper pastes in the hot fat deepens their color and sweetness, giving the final sauce a complex, round flavor that simply adding them later wouldn't achieve.

Notes and substitutions

Pastırma is a cured, air-dried beef that's coated in a paste of fenugreek, garlic, and paprika. It's available at Middle Eastern grocers or online. If you can't find it, bresaola or pastrami are good substitutes, though you'll miss the fenugreek note.

The red pepper paste, called biber salçası, is a staple of Turkish cooking; it's milder than hot pepper paste and adds a lovely color. Look for it in Middle Eastern markets or online.

This recipe calls for dried Turkish white beans, sometimes labeled dermason or a similar white bean. Cannellini or great Northern beans work well too. Soaking overnight is essential for even cooking.

If you forget, do a quick soak: cover the beans with water, bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then let them sit for 1 hour. The butter rice pilaf and pickled peppers are classic sides, but the stew is also wonderful with crusty bread.

• cured Turkish pastırma beef: Cured beef bresaola or a good-quality pastrami, sliced thin, can stand in for pastırma. The fenugreek coating is unique, so add 1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek to the stew if using a substitute.
• red pepper paste: Use 1 tablespoon tomato paste plus 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1 teaspoon sweet paprika to mimic the mild heat and color.
• dried Turkish white beans: Cannellini or great Northern beans work well; reduce simmering time by about 15 minutes if using smaller beans.
• beef broth: Chicken broth or vegetable broth can replace beef broth. The flavor will be lighter but still delicious.

Equipment

• Large clay pot or Dutch oven
• Wooden spoon
• Chef's knife
• Cutting board
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Ladle