Fava Bean Hummus, Turkish Fava, Cypriot Bakla

Instructions

Broad bean hummus

1. Boil the broad beans with half an onion until they are very soft.
2. Drain its water and add garlic, olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, and vinegar. Blend it until you have a smooth texture.
3. Your hummus is ready. When serving it, you can use the back of a spoon to make a crater and add a generous amount of olive oil, red pepper, parsley, and pickles if you like.

To garnish

1. Place the broad beans and the onions in the pressure cooker.
2. Fill with soft drinking water. The water should be 2-3 cm higher than the beans.
3. Close the lid and cook until the pressure gets high, cook 5 minutes, and open the lid. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, the water you add should be 4 cm above the beans and you’ll need to cook them for about 10-15 minutes until they soften.
4. Then add olive oil, sugar, and salt. Use a hand blender to make it silky smooth.
5. Take the dish or bowl that you want your fava to take the shape of, pour some olive oil, and rub so that the fava would be able to slide once it is cold.
6. Place the mixture in the dish. First, allow it to cool at room temperature. Once cool, refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
7. Your fava is now ready to be turned! It will look and taste great.
8. This is my go-to substitute when I’m craving cheese or when I need a simple dish that will keep me full, guilty free…. Hope you give it a try and it becomes one of your favorites too.

Easiest Cypriot Broad Beans

This is one of the simplest dishes. But actually, this is how Cypriots eat many goodies.
Boil and add olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, or/and vinegar to your taste.

1. Boil the broad beans with drinking water. Cook for 5-6 minutes after it starts to bubble until the beans start to soften and taste okay to eat. Boiling time for dried beans can vary, so check their softness.
2. Drain the beans and transfer them to the serving dish.
3. Smash and puree the garlic cloves and add to the beans with vinegar, olive oil, salt, and lemon juice. Give it a mix.
4. Eat it as soon as possible. I must say this becomes something else if it sits in the refrigerator overnight. My cousins also love eating this with black or green olives. As I said, these guys are Cypriots and they know about great food!