Grah (Bosnian Bean Stew)

Ingredients

• 3 cups dried beans
• 4 cups water
• 1 medium onion
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 cup smoked beef (cubed)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vegeta (Bosnian all-purpose seasoning)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 bay leaf (optional)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp paprika

Soak the beans overnight to reduce the cooking time, rinse, and place in large cooking pot with water until boiling. If you didn't soak the beans, place them in a cooking pot, add water, and let them boil for several minutes. 

Once the beans have come to a boil, finely chop the onion, carrot, and bell pepper. Add these to the beans, and reduce the temperature to medium. Cover the pot slightly and allow the stew to cook for about an hour. Add water every few minutes to ensure that the water level is kept constant.

After an hour, add all the spices and cubed meat to the beans. Cook for another hour. You will know that the grah is finished cooking once the beans are soft and creamy. 

Next, add the tomato paste and allow this to incorporate into the stew.

To make the roux, mince garlic cloves and add them to a small oiled frying pan. Cook the garlic until fragrant. At this stage, it is very easy to burn the garlic so make sure to keep an eye on it and stir constantly. Add the flour and begin mixing until all the crumbs disappear. Finally, add the paprika and mix well. Add the roux to the stew, and allow to cook for an additional 5 minutes.