My version of Gigantes Plaki has all the flavours of Greece and is made with store cupboard ingredients. Get the recipe below.
What are Gigantes Plaki?
Gigantes Plaki are butterbeans that are baked in a rich tomato sauce. In fact, Gigantes Plaki translates to "giant baked beans".
What beans are used to make Gigantes Plaki?
Gigantes Plaki is traditionall made from a variety of extra-large white runner beans. They have a sweet, mild taste, with a meaty texture, which means they don't breakdown when cooked.
It might not be easy to get the traditional beans but butter beans are the perfect substitute. Butter beans are sold in pretty much all supermarkets in the tinned section. You can sometimes also buy them dried but this would make the dish much longer to cook.
What is in the sauce?
The sauce in which Gigantes Plaki are served is a rich tomato sauce. Given its baked in the oven in some ways the sauce is a bit like a rich tomato based stew. It's made simply from onion, garlic, tomato paste, chopped plum tomatoes, cinnamon and oregano.
How are Gigantes Plaki cooked?
The sauce is initially cooked on the hob but then finished off in the oven once the beans have been added. As it cooks the beans act as a sponge soaking up all of the flavour.
Are Gigantes Plaki served hot or cold?
You can serve Gigantes Plaki warm or cold. If you want to make it in advance you can either enjoy it cold or reheat it so that it is warm.
Are Gigantes Plaki a main course or a side dish?
Gigantes Plaki can actually be served as a main course or as part of a mezze platter. It's certainly hearty enough to be a meal in it's own right but I love to serve it up as part of a range of dishes.
Check out some serving suggestions after the recipe.
The recipe
Gigantes Plaki
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon tomato purée
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 400 g tinned plum tomatoes chopped
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 400 g tinned butter beans
- flat-leaf parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 180 C / 354 F / gas 4.
- In the meantime add the olive oil and onion to a pan along with a large pinch of salt.
- Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes before adding the sliced garlic then cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Add in the cinnamon and cook for a minute before adding the tomato puree for another minute.
- Pour over the chopped plum tomatoes and stir in the sugar and dried oregano.
- Drain the tinned butter beans and add to the sauce.
- Stir until well coated then tip into an oven dish.
- Bake for 30 minutes to allow the beans to soak up the sauce and to allow it to thicken.
- Sprinkle oven the chopped parsley before serving (either hot or cold).
Nutrition
Serve with
Gigantes Plaki are perfect served as part of a mezze platter. Why not try some of these dishes alongside them.
What will you serve with your Gigantes Plaki?
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