Tavče Gravče

Name: Tavče Gravče
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: North Macedonia
Ingredients: 2 cups dried tetovac or gigante beans, soaked overnight; 3 tbsp oil; 1 onion, diced; 1 red bell pepper, diced; 2 tbsp sweet paprika; 1 tbsp flour; 2 tomatoes, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp dried mint; Salt and black pepper

6 servings20 min prep90 min cookMedium North Macedonia

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Tavče Gravče

Story updated September 17, 2026

Tavče Gravče, baked beans slow-cooked in a shallow clay tavče dish, is widely considered North Macedonia's national dish. It grew out of the country's long peasant tradition of bean farming and clay-pot cooking, likely shaped by centuries of Ottoman-era kitchen practices, and remains a humble, everyday staple rather than a dish with one clear origin story.

Ingredients

Scale:· 6 servings

2 cups dried tetovac or gigante beans, soaked overnight
3 tbsp oil
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp flour
2 tomatoes, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried mint
Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1Boil the soaked beans in fresh water until just tender, about 45 minutes, then drain, reserving some cooking liquid.
2Sauté onion and bell pepper in oil until soft, stir in flour and paprika, and cook briefly.
3Add tomatoes and garlic and cook until the tomatoes soften.
4Combine the beans with the vegetable mixture in a clay or baking dish, adding enough reserved liquid to keep it moist.
5Stir in dried mint and season with salt and pepper.
6Bake uncovered at 375°F for 30-40 minutes until the top is lightly browned and the beans are creamy.

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