Mexican cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Braised Fava Beans

Fresh fava beans braised with onion and tomato, seasoned with epazote and brightened with lime.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 1 kg fresh fava beans (in the pod, or 400 g frozen)
• 400 g tomatoes
• 1 white onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 serrano chilies
• 2 sprigs epazote (or 1 tsp oregano)
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 300 ml water
• 1 lime
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Shell the fava beans, blanch for 2 min. in boiling water, shock in cold water and peel the thick skin off each bean — this keeps them tender and bright green.
2. Finely dice the onion and garlic, slice the serrano chilies into rings and roughly dice the tomatoes.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a pot and sauté the onion, garlic and chili over medium heat for 4–5 min. until the onion is translucent.
4. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 6 min. until they break down into a thick sauce.
5. Add the beans with the water and epazote, season with salt and pepper and simmer gently covered for 15–18 min. until the beans are tender and just covered by the sauce.
6. Season with the juice of half a lime and serve in deep bowls with the remaining lime wedges.