Fava Bean and Dill
Try this delicious Mediterranean-inspired dish of fava beans and dill rice. It's an easy and flavorful meal that is sure to satisfy. Perfect for weeknights.
- 120+ Minutes
- Medium
- Serves 4-6
Method
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 3 cups of Tilda Grand Basmati Rice
- 1 ½ cup of fresh or frozen shelled & peeled fava bean
- Medium sized Bunch of chopped fresh Dill
- 2 Tbsp dry dill (optional)
- 2 Tbsp Sea salt
- ½ cup butter
- 2 Tbsp Oil
- 6 cups of water
- 1 tsp saffron finely grounded & bloomed in 2 Tbsp water
How to make Fava Bean and Dill
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Wash the rice and set aside to soak in salted water for two hours.
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Peel and shell the fava beans. If you are using frozen beans, defrost & set aside.
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In a large pot, bring 8 cups of water to boil. Add 2 Tbsp sea salt & 2 Tbsp oil to the water.
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Rinse the rice and add it to the boiling water along with the fava beans. Let it simmer on medium-low heat uncovered for about 7 minutes, or until the rice has slightly softened but still al-dente.
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Drain the rice in a strainer, pour some cold water over it to cool the rice. This will also stop the rice from sticking to each other.
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Add all the finely chopped fresh dill to the rice, and gently mix until it is completely combined and set aside.
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Melt half of the butter in a non-stick pot over low heat. Add 2 tsp of the bloomed saffron (keep the rest for garnish) and 2 Tbsp water.
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Add and spread 5 Tbsp of the rice mixture to the pot and spread evenly to cover the bottom of the pot. This will become the crispy rice.
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Gradually pour the remainder of the rice in the pot. If you are using the dry dill as well as the fresh dill, then sprinkle them In between the rice in 3 stages.
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Cut the rest of the butter in to 5 small pieces and spread over the top of the rice.
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Wrap a clean kitchen towel over the lid of the pan. Put the heat on high for a minute or so then immediately turn it to medium-low and let the rice steam for 45 minutes.
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Once the rice is cooked, separate 6 tbsp of the rice in a bowl. Pour the remaining bloomed saffron over it, mix well and set aside (This will make the rice that vibrant yellow color). Pour the rest on the rice in the pot into your serving dish and garnish the top with the saffron rice mixture.
How to Shell Fava Beans
Look for smooth, firm, brilliant green pods with freshly cut ends and as little browning as possible when purchasing fava beans. Unsure of how many fava beans to purchase? For each meager cup of shelled beans you desire at the end, choose approximately 1 pound of fava beans.
Fava beans must often be double-shelled if they are to be used in recipes that call for them. To unleash the totally tender, delicately flavored fava beans from deep within, fava beans must first be pulled from their pods, blanched, and then removed from each of their individual shells. To help you complete this activity as fast and effectively as possible, this tutorial will walk you through each step.
Snap Off the End
The fava pod’s stem end should be cut off. Pulling it toward the thicker seam on the inside of the bean’s curvature will make it work the best.
String Fava Pod
The “thread” that runs down the fava pod’s inner curvature should be pulled down and taken out. To extract the beans from the pods, open the pods and slide your thumb down the interior, “popping” the beans out as you go.
Blanching
Blanche means to quickly submerge in hot water. Bring a big pot of water (approximately 2 quarts) to a boil in order to blanch shelled fava beans. To make the water taste salty, add enough salt (approximately 1 tablespoon) (this will help the beans stay green). After adding, boil the fava beans for one minute.
Drain and Cool
The fava beans should be drained.
You can either submerge them in a big bowl of ice water or rinse them under cold running water to cool them off. Wait 3 to 5 minutes for everything to cool completely. They become easier to peel once the cooking from the blanching is stopped.
Shell Again
Shell them again. This is what makes fava beans so labor-intensive. Make as speedy work of this as possible by using your thumbnail to break through the shell at the dimpled point at the inside curve of the bean.
Pop the Cap Off and Push Bean Out
Continue with the second shelling by pulling up to remove the “cap” at the top of the bean. Having removed the top of the shell, you can now simply squeeze the other end of the shell to pop out the fava bean.
You can serve this dish with lamb or chicken or on its own as a vegetarian dish.
