Besarah — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A vibrant green dip made from dried fava beans cooked with an abundance of fresh dill, cilantro, and leeks, finished with crispy fried onions and a drizzle of olive oil. A rustic village favorite.

Ingredients

500g dried split fava beans, soaked overnight
1 large bunch fresh dill
1 large bunch fresh cilantro
2 leeks, sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 large onions, thinly sliced
Vegetable oil for frying onions
Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

1 Drain soaked fava beans and cook in fresh water with sliced leeks and half the garlic for thirty minutes until the beans are completely soft and breaking apart.
2 Add the fresh dill and cilantro to the pot in the last five minutes of cooking. This preserves the vibrant green color and fresh herbal flavors beautifully.
3 Blend the mixture until smooth but still retaining some texture. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. The consistency should be like a thick, rustic puree.
4 Fry the thinly sliced onions in vegetable oil over medium heat for fifteen minutes, stirring often, until deeply caramelized and crispy golden brown throughout.
5 Fry the remaining garlic in olive oil until golden and fragrant. This garlic oil will serve as the finishing drizzle that elevates the entire dish dramatically.
6 Spread the besarah on a flat plate, top with the crispy fried onions, drizzle with the garlic-infused olive oil, and serve with warm baladi bread.

Did You Know?

Besarah is so ancient that some food historians believe it was eaten by the workers who built the Great Pyramids, making it one of the oldest recipes still enjoyed.