Perfectly poached eggs served with dill-scented lima beans! This quick, vegetarian bean stew from Northern Iran is the perfect healthy, protein-packed lunch or dinner for busy weekdays.

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I am reporting back from my little Christmas break with a comforting Northern Iranian specialty called Baghali Ghatogh! A vegetarian bean stew, traditionally made with broad beans (lima or fava, whichever you prefer), fresh dill, garlic and whole eggs that are poached whole in the skillet.

Fans of simple meatless meals will love this Iranian Lima Bean Stew with Dill and poached eggs!

I love this Iranian Bean Stew for its simplicity! You need a chopping board and one skillet – as someone, who doesn’t own a dishwasher that’s a best-case scenario.

Don’t be fooled by the short list of ingredients! This vegetarian skillet is highly addictive!

Who would’ve thought that lima beans, eggs, dill & garlic could turn into such a spectacular meal? It certainly exceeded my expectations by, like, 300 %.

I added some mini tomatoes and a hint of lemon to the traditional recipe for some acidity and really liked the fresh notes of lemon along with the fresh dill.

Fresh dill and a hint of lemon take this simple Iranian bean stew to the next level!

Talking about dill – it is worth mentioning that this dish is pretty heavy on the dill, so if you do not like dill, you might want to use parsley instead. I used fresh dill, which I find to be easier on the palate, but you can also substitute dried dill. Just make sure you don’t go too crazy. A little goes a very long way.

The texture of this bean dish is somewhere between a stew and a stir-fry, though the proper term in Persian ist “Khoresh” – meaning stew.

My beans absorbed a lot of the liquid during the egg-poaching stage, and I didn’t want to add too much liquid afterwards. Feel free to add a splash of water or broth if you feel you need some more.

Cooking this fragrant one-skillet bean stew reminded me a bit of making shakshuka, which happens to be one of my favourite brunch recipes.

Even though I made this baghali ghatogh for dinner, I can really imagine having it as a late breakfast on a Sunday morning. There’s just something about that whole runny-yolks-and-beans – combo that just screams breakfast, right?

What to serve with Baghali Ghatogh ( Iranian Bean Stew)?

Baghali Ghatogh is usually served over  Persian Steamed Rice or toasted bread. I personally love dipping bread into runny yolks, so I made a quick Turkish Pide to go with my Iranian Bean Stew. Persian flatbread would have been the more traditional option, I guess. I found a promising recipe here, which I will try next time! If you decide to give it a try as well, let me know how it turned out!

Next time you feel like a quick, protein-rich meal, I really hope you try this delicious one-skillet bean stew. I have already made it five times within the last month and it is well on its way to becoming one of my go-to brunch recipes.

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5 from 10 votes

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Lima Beans with Dill and Eggs {Baghali Ghatogh} | A healthy Iranian Recipe

Eggs cooked in a dill-scented lima bean stew - a comforting yet healthy northern Iranian recipe, perfect for busy weeknights. 

Course brunch, main

Cuisine iranian

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 564 kcal

Author Kiki Johnson

Ingredients

• 2 cans white beans or lima beans 400 g cans
• 1 big onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 bunch fresh dill
• 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp sugar or honey
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 80 g mini tomatoes
• salt, pepper to taste
• 4 large eggs
• bread to serve

Instructions

1. Open the cans and drain and rinse beans in a sieve.  Peel and slice onions. Peel garlic and chop finely. Chop the dill and set aside. Wash the lemon with hot water and grate some of the peel until you have about 1 tsp. Halve the lemon and juice one half of it into a little bowl.  

2. Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat and add onion slices. Fry for about 3 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and turmeric and fry until the garlic loses its raw smell and starts to turn golden. Add rinsed beans, cumin, lemon juice, a cup of water, 1/2 tsp of salt  and sugar. Let come to a boil, then add tomatoes, lemon zest and dill. Add pepper and salt to taste and reduce to a low boil. 

3. With a spoon, create 4 little hollows in the beans for the eggs and crack the eggs into them. Put the lid back on and let boil for about 4 minutes or until the whites are set and the yolk is still runny.  Serve with bread.