About this Dish
A rich, flatbread filled with spiced kidney beans — simpler than khachapuri but deeply satisfying. The beans are cooked with onion, coriander, fenugreek and chilli, mashed and sealed inside the bread. Eaten as street food, at supra (feast) tables and as everyday comfort food throughout Georgia.
IngredientsServes 4
🫘Dried kidney beans, 400g (or 2 x 400g tins, drained)
🧅Large onions, 2, finely chopped
🧄Garlic cloves, 3, minced
🌿Fresh coriander, a large handful, roughly chopped
🌶️Dried chilli flakes, 1 tsp (or to taste)
🟡Ground fenugreek (utskho suneli), 1 tsp
🧂Salt and black pepper, to taste
🧈Unsalted butter, 60g, plus extra for brushing
🍞Plain flour, 500g
💧Warm water, 300ml, plus 7g fast-action dried yeast and 1 tsp sugar
Method
1
If using dried beans, soak overnight then boil in fresh water for 45–60 minutes until completely tender and drain well. If using tinned beans, simply drain and rinse them. Either way, you want soft beans that mash easily.2
Make the dough by dissolving the yeast and sugar in the warm water and leaving for 5 minutes until foamy. Mix into the flour with 1 tsp salt and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and springy, then cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.3
While the dough rises, fry the onions in butter over a medium heat for 15–20 minutes until deeply golden and soft. Add the garlic, chilli flakes and fenugreek, stir for 1 minute, then add the beans and mash everything together roughly with a fork — you want texture, not a smooth purée. Season generously, remove from the heat and stir through the fresh coriander. Leave to cool completely.4
Divide the risen dough into 4 equal balls. On a lightly floured surface, flatten each ball into a circle roughly 20cm across. Spoon a quarter of the bean filling into the centre, leaving a 4cm border, then gather the edges up over the filling and pinch tightly to seal like a bundle.5
Gently flatten each filled bundle with your hands or a rolling pin into a thick disc about 20–22cm wide — be gentle so you don't burst the seams. Don't worry if it's not perfectly round; rustic is authentic.6
Heat a large dry frying pan or cast-iron skillet over a medium-high heat. Cook each lobiani for 4–5 minutes per side until dark golden patches appear and the bread is cooked through. Immediately brush each one generously with butter as it comes out of the pan.7
Serve warm, cut into wedges. Lobiani is best eaten the day it is made, ideally straight from the pan with a cup of strong tea or a glass of Georgian amber wine.User Reviews
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