Broadbean & Pumpkin Bissara

Bissara is a Moroccan dip, it’s always spiced with cumin and can be made with fresh or dried beans, make with broad beans in season when plentiful.

Serves: 4/6

Dietary: Vegan, wheat free

Ingredients:

350g broadbeans, podded weight

2 garlic cloves, chopped

pinch of salt

juice of 1 lemon

50g pumpkin seeds, roasted

6 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp cumin seeds, dry roasted and ground

1/2 tsp paprika

pinch of cayenne

lots of fresh mint, chopped

warm bread

lemon wedges

mint sprigs

Method:

Cook the broad beans until just tender, drain and run under cold water to retain the vivid green colour. If the broadbeans are not very young they will need to be peeled now.

Crush the garlic with the salt, until smooth.

With a potato masher or hand blender coarsely mash the broadbeans with the garlic and lemon juice and add most of the pumpkin seeds (leave some to decorate the top of the Bissara). 

Mix in half the olive oil, cumin, paprika, cayenne & mint. Check for seasoning and then ladle into a serving dish. Sprinkle on the remaining pumpkin seeds, cumin, paprika, cayenne & mint. Lastly cover with the rest of the olive oil and serve with warm bread, wedges of lemon and sprigs of fresh mint.

Tips: Fresh baby broad beans are so sweet & vibrantly green, but the season is very short, so it’s not long before the broad beans become tough & starchy & you have to peel them.

I kilo of fresh broad beans in the pod, when podded will end up at about 350g, if they need peeling, you are down to only 250g.