Jacys Middle-Eastern Fava Bean Stew

This is called ‘Middle-Eastern’ fava bean stew and not ‘Moroccan’ because I have also borrowed flavors from my Lebanese roots. This stew came to me on a Saturday afternoon when we were desperately low on groceries and had no meat in the freezer. The first time my carnivorous partner tried it, he honestly thought it contained meat. I have made this many times, and he devours it with relish! To make this dish completely vegetarian/vegan, omit the anchovies. Serve with steamed basmati rice, couscous or bulgur.

Step: 1

To make harissa paste: Heat a dry skillet over high heat and add coriander, caraway and cumin seeds. Shake pan gently until spices become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour seeds into mortar and grind with pestle to a fine powder. Add garlic, salt, paprika and dried red pepper flakes, mashing and stirring until garlic is incorporated with the spices. Mixture will be dry and crumbly. Add enough of the 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil until you have a thick paste. Use fewer pepper flakes if you prefer less heat. Set aside.

Step: 2

Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into a large pot and add minced onions and garlic. Cook slowly over low heat until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Push onions aside in the pot, and stir in the anchovies. Cook anchovies until they soften, mashing them with the back of a wooden spoon until they dissolve. Stir together with the onion and garlic mixture.

Step: 3

Add the butternut squash, carrots, bell pepper, frozen peas and a pinch of salt. Stir and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Pour in the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for about a minute.

Step: 4

Stir in the drained fava beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf and harissa paste (from step 1). Add brown sugar and pomegranate molasses. Bring back to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for about 1 1/2 hours. The long, slow cooking time allows the flavors to deepen.

Step: 5

Just before serving, stir in the chopped parsley. Top with the mint, if you like.

Per Serving: 315 calories; protein 11.7g; carbohydrates 45.1g; fat 11.4g; cholesterol 2.3mg; sodium 757.8mg.

The word “stew” can process to both a food and a make dishes method. Stewing makes not fast cooking chunks of meat, vegetables or beans in a tastefull liquid . It’s similar to braising, instead it makes have a few piece of differences. The meat is chopped into few of pieces but of being processing menu all of it , and the water based material all of it covers the essential in a stew as different to a braise’s halfway all of it . When meat or vegetables are cooked using this method, the resulting dish is called stew.

Stew has a perception for making a rib-sticking meal that warms you up on a cold , winter day. It’s true ; a bowl of classic beef stew does have warming featured food , but stew’s comfort factor more than a way beyond protecting you from the cold . It’s all about those soft and chunks of food and vegetables, swimming in a thick, ultra-rich gravy. The way they come together creates the greatest comfort food, no matter the weather.