Recipe: Moroccan Bean Dip (Bessara)

the appetizer:

300 Best Rice Cooker Recipes, Also Including Legumes and Whole Grains by Katie Chin includes recipes like Berry Breakfast Risotto; Moroccan Bean Dip (Bessara); and Tuscan Wheat Berry Soup.

Moroccan Bean Dip (Bessara)

Makes 10 to 12 servings

This dip, made with dried fava beans and seasonings, is a great appetizer to serve with pita wedges and vegetable crudites. Accompanied by mint tea or wine of any variety, it's perfect for all types of parties. It also makes an excellent accompaniment, along with couscous and salad, to a lamb or chicken main course.

Fava Beans

Fava beans are also known as broad beans, horse beans, English beans, faba beans and Windsor beans. While their season is fleeting, it's a wonderful treat to cook with fresh fava beans, and worth the effort. When shopping for fava beans, select small pods; those that bulge with beans are past their prime. Two pounds (500 g) of unshelled beans yields about 1 cup (250 mL) shelled.

Medium rice cooker; fuzzy logic or on/off
Food processor

1-1/2 cups dried fava beans 375 mL
6 cups water 1.5 L
2 cloves garlic 2
1-1/2 tsp salt 7 mL
1 tsp ground cumin 5 mL
1/2 tsp sweet paprika 2 mL
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 2 mL
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 60 mL
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 75 mL
Additional sweet paprika
Finely chopped fresh parsley

1. Sort, rinse and soak fava beans (see pages 32-33). Drain and peel off skins.

2. Place soaked fava beans and water in the rice cooker bowl. Set the rice cooker for the Regular cycle and set a timer for 1-1/2 hours.

3. When the timer sounds, check to see if fava beans are tender. If necessary, continue cooking, checking for doneness every 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 3 tbsp (45 mL) cooking liquid.

4. In food processor, combine fava beans, reserved cooking liquid, garlic, salt, cumin, paprika, cayenne and lemon juice; puree until smooth. With the motor running, through the feed tube, drizzle in oil; process until blended.

5. Transfer bean mixture to a large saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring, until warmed through.

6. Transfer to a shallow serving bowl. Dust with paprika and garnish with parsley.