Another non meat/fish recipe this week, ‘Fava’ (the a’s are short ones like the ‘a’ in apple not like the long a in lava!)
This is a staple dish in every housewife’s recipe book and no self respecting kafenion or restaurant would ever be caught without fava available as it is an essential part of every meze! It is best served freshly made and slightly warm as it does not store very well. It is not a difficult recipe but it does need practice so get the right consistency. For smaller or larger quantities just change the amount of split peas and keep the proportion of water the same.
Put the split peas into the water with the salt and the onion and simmer gently, remember that the lentils will expand so make sure the saucepan is big enough. Continue simmering until the water has nearly gone, stir regularly to make the lentils go mushy. Some people do not worry if it is slightly lumpy, while others put it through a blender to get an nice even consistency, it should be quite stiff in texture so that when the oil is stirred into it, it can still be picked up easily with a fork.
When cooked discard the onion, place fava on a flat plate in a flattened mound and serve with oil, raw onion, olives and fresh crusty bread.
As a variation HWMBO says add 2 cloves of garlic peeled and whole and discard them when cooked, a pinch of cumin also adds a bit more flavour.
This is me, Ralfa. Aren't I just gorgeous?
