Fasulye

Armenian food and the importance of culturally significant, plant-based foods

About me:

Aloha everyone, my name is Sydney Budde. I am mostly Armenian and even thought I was born and raised in Hawaii, my family did a good job of incorporating Armenian food into my childhood. My site will discuss some history on Fasulye, some nutritional info on the dish, and how to properly prepare it. I have been plant-based for 15 years, and my family is as well. It is very important to me to follow a plant based diet to get all the proper nutrients I need, to recover after races, to avoid getting sick, to decrease the suffering in the world, and for overall health and wellness. I study Sustainable Community Food Systems, and the more I learn about our food system and agriculture practices, the greater I feel about my choice to not consume animal products. Cooking is one of my favorite things to do, and I find joy in making my friends favorite dishes in a plant based, delicious form, that everyone can enjoy. Today I will be teaching you all about Fasulye, which is a traditional Armenian dish that takes me back to holidays with my family where I would sneak into the kitchen and munch on raw green beans before my relatives began cooking. When my green beans are growing in my garden and I munch on them it always takes me back to those holidays and makes me want to cook up some Fasulye.

My Kupuna:

My mother is a first generation Armenian that grew up in Missouri, where many Armenians migrated to, then moved to Hawaii about 40 years ago. She has been vegetarian most of her life, and is an incredible chef. She grew up eating mostly only Armenian food, and has been able to make plant based versions of most of the meals she grew up eating. She shops locally and gets all her food from the farmers market or her garden, making it possible to make simple dishes where the produce shines, and not having to add processed foods or flavorings to her cooking.

Fasulye

The dish:

The dish that I have chosen for my project is Fasulye, which is an Armenian green bean and tomato stew dish that is packed full of healthy plant based nutrients. Traditionally this stew is cooking with lamb, but that is omitted for this recipe since I don't condone to eating animalsI really enjoy using fresh and local products to make simple dishes that taste extraordinary. I selected this food because it takes me back to my childhood, and because it is summer and I am overrun with green beans and tomatoes! This dish does not have a bunch of ingredients, just a few fresh herbs and lemon to bring out the crispness of the green beans, and the acidity of the tomato. This dish can be altered by adding additional herbs or spices, but I prefer to keep it simple and traditional. I enjoy to make this during the summer when I have lots of green beans and tomatoes in my garden. I eat it by itself or with Armenian rice pilaf, but traditionally it is consumed as a filling side dish, since it is usually cooked with ground lamb. It is important to consume culturally appropriate traditional foods for many reasons especially in order to keep tradition alive, and to share tradition with other people around you. Most people have specific dishes that they favor when they think about their culture, and it is important to learn how to prepare those dishes so we do not lose sight of the importance of using food as culture.

Recipe:

Prep time:

15 mins, cooking time: 1 hour. Serves 4 with 1 cup per serving.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped finely
• 2 cloves garlic put through a garlic crusher or chopped finely
• 1 kilo (approx. 2 pounds) green beans sliced on the diagonal
• 2 medium to large tomatoes, chopped finely
• Juice of a half lemon
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped finely
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a cold deep casserole pan layer the onion first with the garlic, the beans and tomatoes on top. Pour the olive oil over the layered vegetables, a and place the lid on the pan. Turn the heat on to medium and cook the vegetables for approximately fifteen minutes, do not stir, just give the pan a shake every couple of minutes to ensure the contents don’t stick to the bottom.
2. After the beans have started to lose their vivid green color, stir all the vegetables to combine. At this point turn the heat down to low and put the lid on the pan leaving a crack for steam to escape and cook for a total of one hour, stirring every now and then. The beans will be soft and have a beautiful sweetness to them at the end of the cooking time and there will also be some soupy liquid in the bottom of the pan.
3. Add the fresh dill and lemon juice at the end and stir through otherwise just season to taste.

Special info:

Fasulye tastes better the next day once the flavors get to settle into each other and marinate!

Fasulye Kupuna Video

My Kupuna, my mother, teaches us about Fasulye in her own fun & rambunctious way

Fun nutritional fact: Green beans act as an easy source for acquiring vitamins like vitamin A, C, K, B6, and folic acid. In terms of minerals, green beans are a good source of calcium, silicon, iron, manganese, potassium, and copper.

Garlic: Can help reduce blood pressure! The compounds found in garlic can help to reduce blood pressure due to its antioxidant phytochemical that prevent oxidative damage

Onion: Sulfides in onions contain necessary amino acids (Sourced from: my own knowledge)

“Sulfur is one of the most common minerals in our body that assists with protein synthesis and building of cell structures"

Tomatoes: Reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer! This is due to the antioxidant lycopene which is a potent antioxidant substance

Olive Oil: Helps reduce risk of type 2 diabetes by improving blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, and blood lipid levels.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRupcDOrcYFfAVb46akac6urj5V5JrBSybPLffa9ep0Jw94hKE1KGmayINxZW9ydUHQvkbMxSPxNxgj/pub?gid=0&single=true&output=pdf

My Plate & SPC Classification

My plate:

Fasulye best fits into the vegetables category since it is primarily green beans and tomatoes.

SPC Classification:

Since this dish consists of low calorie vegetables I would place it in the protective foods category. This is because of the very many beneficial properties of tomatoes, green beans, and garlic as antioxidant and anti cancerous products.