Fasolia Yiahni

Name: Fasolia Yiahni
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Cypriot
Ingredients: Tinned cannellini beans; Olive oil; Onion; Garlic; Tinned plum tomatoes; Celery; Flat-leaf parsley; Salt; Black pepper; Water

157 kcal a serving, against 211 for the traditional version. That is 54 kcal off, or 26%, with 8.4g of protein. Serves 6. 1 hour 40 minutes.

What the traditional version is

Dried white beans (usually cannellini or haricot) soaked overnight, then simmered with onions, garlic, ripe tomatoes, and a heroic splash of olive oil. Parsley or celery lands near the end, and sometimes potatoes get the invite. The beans stay creamy and the sauce is loose, greedy with oil. Serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread.

What changed, and what each change costs

Olive oil down from 80g to 20g, all added at the end instead of simmered

The oil in fasolia yiahni isn't just for flavour, it's for mouthfeel and that 'Greek island shimmer' on your plate. But it's also the main reason you need a nap after lunch. By adding less oil and pouring it over just before serving, you keep most of the aroma and richness right where you'll taste it.

What it costs you. This takes the edge off the silkiness. It's lighter, less lush, and no one's licking the plate for the last dribble of oil. Your arteries will thank you, but your inner auntie probably won't.

Beans up from 350g to 550g

Doubling down on the beans is the easiest way to get more protein without starting a nutrition seminar. It bulks up the sauce, keeps the texture hefty, and means you can actually call this lunch instead of a side dish.

What it costs you. You lose a bit of the original's loose, oily sauce. This one's thicker and heartier. You'll definitely need a squeeze of lemon to wake it up, and bread for mopping.

What goes in it

The ingredients, without the quantities. The weights are what the figures below are computed from, and they are in the book.

Tinned cannellini beans
Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Tinned plum tomatoes
Celery
Flat-leaf parsley
Salt
Black pepper
Water

How it starts

Finely chop the onions and celery.
Heat a splash of water in a big saucepan and sweat the onions and celery for 8 minutes, stirring, till they're starting to slump.
Add the garlic, chopped or mashed.

The rest of the method, and every weight, is in Authentic-ish Cypriot.

The numbers

Per serving	Traditional	Lightened
Calories	211	157
Protein	5.8g	8.4g
Fat	14.4g	5g
Saturated fat	2g	0.7g
Carbohydrate	16.4g	21.7g
Protein per 100 kcal	2.8g	5.3g

Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Cypriot prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked. How every number is computed sets out the method.

Allergens. celery.

The method is in the book

You'll spot what's missing on the first spoonful - this version is the sensible cousin who arrives early, not the one who parties till sunrise. The extra beans mean you'll actually feel full, though, and the olive oil's still there for a bit of comfort. No Cypriot auntie would claim it as her yiahni. It is a Tuesday night dinner with less yawning and cleaner plates. You don't get the full holiday sheen, but you do get enough beans for seconds.

The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Cypriot, along with 47 more. Buy the paperback