Bessara (Moroccan Fava Bean Purée)
Bessara is a Moroccan purée of dried split fava beans, flavored with garlic, paprika and cumin. Traditional versions simmer the beans for hours until they collapse and then pass them through a food mill. A blender gets the same smooth result from an hour of cooking. Serve it thick as a dip or thinned with the cooking liquid as a soup, and let everyone add olive oil, cumin and harissa at the table.
Instructions
Put the split fava beans in a bowl and cover them with several inches of cold water. Leave them to soak for 8 to 12 hours, then drain.
Tip the drained beans into a pot with the garlic, paprika, cumin and olive oil, and pour in enough water to cover them.
Bring the pot to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer with the lid partly on. The beans are ready when they are tender, which usually takes about an hour.
Set a strainer over a bowl and drain the beans, keeping the cooking liquid. You will use some of it to adjust the texture.
Purée the beans with an immersion blender, a blender or a food processor until smooth. Stir in the reserved liquid a little at a time until the purée is as thick or as loose as you like.
Stir in the lemon juice and taste. Add salt as needed, but go lightly, because the condiments at the table will add more seasoning.
To serve, reheat the purée gently over medium-low heat. Ladle it out as a dip or a soup, with olive oil, cumin, salt and, if you like, cayenne pepper or harissa on the side.
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