Flat Bean Stew with Lamb

Name: Flat Bean Stew with Lamb
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

roubashahin.com.au

A simple, slow-cooked bean and lamb stew that tastes like home. Just a few ingredients, one pot, and pure comfort in every bite.

PREP TIME

15 minutes

COOK TIME

1 1⁄2 to 2 hours

SERVES

About this recipe

I’d always see piles of long flat beans spread across Mum’s table, and she’d cook it for hours over the stove making her famous flat bean stew with lamb. Back then, I thought it looked far too hard to attempt. But once I made it myself—with just a kilo of beans—I realised it was one of the easiest dishes you can make. It’s proof that a handful of ingredients can still create the most comforting, full-flavoured meal.

Mum made it in bulk because she had to feed nine of us at home, but even in smaller batches, this flat bean stew with lamb is just as rich and satisfying. It’s slow-cooked until the beans are silky and the lamb melts in your mouth. I also add a touch of paprika—it’s not traditional, but it gives the dish a warmth and depth that I absolutely love. And that smell of ghee and Bharat filling the kitchen? It instantly takes me back to Mum’s.

Traditionally, we serve this dish with vermicelli rice, a classic Lebanese rice we make alongside most of our stews, and a dollop of yogurt. And if you want to eat it the way we always did growing up—scoop up the rice, beans, and yogurt with bread. Of course, a spoon works just fine too.

If you love simple, wholesome dishes that prove less really is more, you’ll also enjoy my Loubieh bi Zeit, a plant-based version cooked gently in olive oil, tomatoes, and garlic. It’s one of those dishes that reminds you that home-style food doesn’t need dressing up—it just needs patience.

Ingredients

1 kilogram flat beans
400 grams lamb, diced
3 tablespoons ghee
1½ teaspoons Bharat spice blend
1 teaspoon paprika

Notes from Rouba

Don’t cut the beans too small—they’ll wilt away. 2-3 cm pieces hold their shape beautifully.
Use lamb shank for incredible flavour, but honestly, any diced lamb works well.
Keep the heat low and steady. This dish is all about slow cooking.
Leftovers taste even better the next day.

Method

Step 1. Prepare the beans

Wash and trim the tips off the flat beans, then cut them into pieces about 2-3 centimetres long. Rinse well and place them in a bowl of water while you start cooking.

Step 2. Brown the lamb

Heat the ghee in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced lamb and cook until well browned. Sprinkle one teaspoon of Bharat along with the paprika over the lamb and stir through. Then add the beans directly from the water—no need to drain them. The splashes of water will help create a bit of steam, which is what you want. Stir to combine, then add the remaining half teaspoon of Bharat on top and mix again.

Step 3. Slow cook

Reduce the heat to very low, cover with a lid, and cook for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. If the mixture looks dry after about an hour, add a splash of water—no more than three tablespoons— just enough to keep it from sticking.

A FEW THINGS YOU’LL WANT TO KNOW

My mum cooks hers for four hours—do I need to?
I don’t think so. Mum made huge batches, which took longer. For a smaller pot like this, 1½ to 2 hours is plenty.

Can I use oil instead of ghee?
Yes, you can use olive oil or vegetable oil, but ghee gives it a richer, more traditional flavour.

What cut of lamb works best?
I love lamb from the shank—it’s flavourful and tender—but backstrap or diced shoulder also work well.

How big should the lamb pieces be?
Keep them bite-sized. Not too small or they’ll dry out, not too big or they’ll take too long to soften.

Mine dried up—what did I do wrong?
It’s likely the heat was too high. Keep it very low. The water from the beans should be enough, but if needed, add one or two tablespoons of water at a time and stir gently.