Bissara

Bissara (Moroccan Fava Bean Purée)

Bissara is a hearty, warming purée of dried fava beans seasoned with garlic, cumin and olive oil, served warm with bread. It is a classic Moroccan breakfast and cold-weather dish, thick enough to scoop but loose enough to eat with a spoon.

Prep

15 min

Cook

90 min

Total

105 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) dried split fava beans, also sold as broad beans; split and skinless are easiest. If using whole dried fava beans with skins, see step 1 for peeling.
• •1.2 l (5 cups) water, plus more as needed for blending
• •4 whole (4 cloves) garlic, peeled and crushed
• •2 tsp ground cumin, plus extra for serving
• •1.5 tsp (1½ tsp) salt, or to taste
• •60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• •1 tsp sweet paprika, for serving; hot paprika or chilli flakes optional
• •1 tbsp lemon juice, optional, for brightness

Steps

1. 1 If using whole dried fava beans with skins, soak them in plenty of cold water for 12 hours or overnight, then drain and slip off the skins. Split skinless fava beans need no soaking and can be used directly.
2. 2 Put the fava beans in a large pot with 1.2 l water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 60–90 minutes until the beans are completely soft and crush easily with a spoon. Split beans will be done closer to 60 minutes; whole beans may take longer. Add more hot water if the pot looks dry.
3. 3 Add the crushed garlic, ground cumin and salt. Simmer for another 10 minutes to soften the garlic and meld the flavours.
4. 4 Remove from the heat. Blend the mixture with an immersion blender, or transfer in batches to a countertop blender, until smooth. For a very smooth texture, blend for 1–2 minutes. If it is too thick to blend, add hot water a few tablespoons at a time until it moves freely.
5. 5 Return the purée to the pot and stir in the 60 ml olive oil and the lemon juice, if using. Warm through over low heat, stirring, for 2–3 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and cumin. The consistency should be like a thick soup or soft dip: it should mound slightly on a spoon but still flow.
6. 6 Ladle into warm bowls. Drizzle generously with olive oil and dust with paprika and extra cumin. Serve immediately with crusty bread or flatbread for scooping.