Levantine cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Foul Akhdar bi Zeit

Young fava beans in their pods, braised in olive oil with garlic and coriander, served lukewarm with plenty of lemon.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 800 g young fava beans in the pod (broad beans)
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 bunch fresh coriander
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1 lemon
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Wash the fava beans, trim the tough ends and strings, and cut the pods into 3 cm pieces – only very young, pliable pods are eaten whole.
2. Peel the garlic and pound it with 1 tsp salt and the coriander seeds in a mortar into a coarse, fragrant paste.
3. Warm 4 tbsp olive oil in a wide pot and let the garlic paste infuse over gentle heat for 1 minute – it must not brown at all.
4. Add the beans, pour in 150 ml water, season with salt, and braise covered for 20–25 minutes, until the pods are tender and only an oily liquid remains in the pot.
5. Roughly chop the coriander and fold it in with the chili flakes and the juice of half a lemon; let it steep uncovered for 2 minutes.
6. Season with pepper, spoon onto a shallow plate while still lukewarm, drizzle with the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, and serve with lemon wedges and flatbread.