To start, this recipe does not use any of the beans known by many as Fava beans (Vicia Faba-read this article to read about this pulse). Instead, it is the name of the final dish made by another pulse (more about this below).
Fava is one of the foods that we have made before ().
It is a puree or spread made from yellow split peas. When cooked, the peas become mushy and soft. The interesting part about this dip recipe is that there are undertones of garlic, lemon, and even some onion flavourings.
With every dish, there are several ways to prepare it, several variations, and several different seasonings. We like to experiment with those differences and we like to ask a variety of people how they do it. It is amazing how each person has a completely different recipe for the exact same food. It is like asking every Yiayia how to make coffee, each one has a different method. But, now, by trying all these different methods, we have found a few that have the "wow" factor that makes us want to share those recipes. If we walk away saying, "Wow, this is good!" then we expect one of you will, too.
Back to today's Fava recipe. When we made it here in 2013, we used the most common method that we had found: boil the peas with the onion and garlic, strain out the onion and garlic, and you have fava puree. This sounds so easy and classic. But, today, we did something else. We sauteed the onion and garlic, carmelizing the onions, added the peas, and, then, we added the water and boiled the peas. That means we boiled all that carmelization on the onions, and we de-glazed the pan a bit and picked up all the flavours from the crispy bits of garlic and onion on the pan. Then, we brightened the flavour with lemon juice, and WOW! Yes, that was the key to making this recipe a top recipe. And, for you to be able to catch the attention of some others, here are the steps with pictures:
First, gather your ingredients. For this recipe, you will need the following:
1 TBSP oil
1 1/2 onions, roughly sliced/chopped
500 grams yellow split peas
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 1/2 cups (more or less) water
2 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 tsp. oregano, thyme, or marjoram
salt to taste
To get this dish started, you need to rinse the yellow split peas with running water for a few minutes. By rinsing, you are able to see the black, dark green, discoloured peas to discard, along with any stones that you may find in the mix. This is our first step with many peas, lentils, beans, and pulses. Let the peas sit to the side while preparing the next steps.
We typically show you pictures of our slicing the onion and the garlic. Today, you will chop the garlic and roughly chop or slice the onion. You want them small enough to cook along with the peas without mincing them. They will be pulverized in a food processor near the end of this dish, so your goal should be manageable sized pieces. Also, juice a lemon and set that aside
After everything is cut, rinsed, and ready, you can start cooking. Heat the oil in a deep pan. Start by cooking the onion and garlic together. You want the onions to caramelize and take on a beautiful deep hue. The garlic may turn a darker colour than the onion, and that is okay. Let these caramelize and become very soft.
Add the rinsed peas to the onion/garlic mix and coat them very well in the pan. Add a little oregano or thyme, or marjoram. We used oregano today because that is what we had on hand. Sprinkle the seasonings lightly because if any of these herbs are cooked too long, they become spicy and bitter and can ruin the gentle flavour of the Fava. Once the ingredients are combined in the pan, add the water and allow this mixture to come to a boil. Cover the pan and allow this to simmer for about 45 minutes. If you notice the pan has dried, and all the water has been absorbed, but the peas are not soft, then add a little more water and continue to sumer until the peas are soft. They should be soft as if they came from a can, or softer than that. The mixture will become mushy as the peas are cooked more. Add the lemon juice now and some salt. Adjust the salt and lemon to your liking.
Once the peas are soft and all the ingredients are mixed in, turn off the heat and grab your food processor. We chose to use our Ninja blender for this, but use whatever appliance you like. We cannot mash this by hand as we have with other Fava recipes because of the cooked onions and garlic in the peas. You need everything to become a puree. So, put 2/3 of the mixture into your blender or food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy. We reserved one third of the peas to keep a little texture in the final dish so it is not completely like baby food.
Puree the mixture and then mix it back into the boiled, non-blended portion. Check the seasoning of salt and lemon, and make adjustments if needed. Serve this rich pea puree warm with some bread, crackers, a meal, or a spoon. The deep colour is indicative of its rich flavour, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we all did. We have already made this dish two days in a row during this Great Lent! That is how delicious and popular this easy to make dish really is!
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Galatians 5:22-23
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