This creamy Middle Eastern dip doesn’t have a hint of broad bean flavour. 

Words and recipe: Jenny Somervell

This Bessara/Bissara recipe is my husband Ken’s adaptation of a Middle Eastern dish featuring broad beans. It’s spicy and delicious, without a hint of broad bean taste. It’s great with warm, crusty bread as a dip or a side dish to a main. If you don’t have fresh broad beans, you can use frozen ones.

Serves: 4
Time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

500g broad beans
1 tsp each of cumin, coriander, fennel, yellow mustard seeds
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 small green chilli
3-4 stalks fresh coriander
1 tsp paprika
8 tbsp pure virgin olive oil
juice of half a lemon
125g sour cream (optional)
salt and freshly ground pepper

METHOD

Lightly roast the cumin, coriander, fennel, and yellow mustard seeds, then grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder. Boil the beans in lightly salted water until just tender, around 6-7 minutes if young, slightly longer if older.

Put the garlic, de-seeded chilli, and fresh coriander (remove any woody stalks) in a food processor and chop finely. Drain the broad beans and add to the food processor. Spin to a smooth paste, adding the olive oil as required.

Add the ground spices, paprika, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the sour cream if desired and spin again to blend.

Garnish with a little olive oil, lemon juice, and paprika.

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