Makhlouta

[Shel_B]

I just found out about this Lebanese soup or stew, and am starting to learn about it.  It looks like it will fit perfectly into our style of eating.  Does anyone have any tips or techniques, or even a recipe +/-, for this dish that they'd care to share.  Thanks!

[shain]

Makhlouta is a dish with great diversity, and I know that in many places it is a stew, however the version of it that I can get around here are usually more thick, served in a similar fashion to hummus (even more like masabacha), no grains inside, but rather served with pita breads. 

It is a lovely dish in any variation if you like dried fava, which I do alot. 

 

For the thick version I mentioned, you should soak fava beans (the small, dry and brown kind) and chickpeas separately. I like a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio in favor of the fava. Add salt and a large pinch of baking soda to both soaking legumes. After a night of soaking, drain and wash them. Start by cooking the fava and add the chickpeas after about 15 minutes of boiling. Cook in salted water until the fava is very soft and breaking apart if you mix it, the chickpeas should be very soft but more intact. Drain or boil of excess water. Mix lemon, crushed garlic and cumin. Top with sharp olive oil, cumin and parsley. I like to chop a hard boiled egg and mix it with schug or chopped green chili, as well as chopped onion, and serve it with it. Labneh also works well along it. Pita, or other bread, is a must.