Egyptian Chili

Photo: flickr user guano

Ingredients

6 cans Fava beans, 15 ounces each, (drained)

4 lrgs Tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped

8 Fat cloves garlic, finely chopped, divided

2 mediums Onions, finely chopped

18 Scallions, finely chopped, divided

1 lrg Bell pepper, chopped

6 Serrano peppers, chopped, (I left in the seeds)

1 tablespoon Brown sugar

2 tablespoons Honey

1 small Can Harissa, (or make 5 ounces fresh)

1 tablespoon White vinegar

6 tablespoons Ground cayenne

I Tbsp Hot Paprika

3 tablespoons Crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons Jamaica Hellfire Doc's Special Hot Sauce*

teaspoon Ground allspice

1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon Ground cumin

1 teaspoon Ground coriander

1 teaspoon Salt, (or to taste)

1 tablespoon Ground Telichery black pepper

1 pch Ground cloves

1 pch Saffron

teaspoon Turmeric

cup Chopped fresh mint

cup Chopped fresh parsley

cup Chopped fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons Standard olive oil, (for frying)

Extra Virgin olive oil to taste, (for drizzling)

Crumbled goat cheese and/or crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

* Use Matouks if Doc's Special is unavailable, or any fiery Carribean Hot Sauce if Matouks is unavailable

Saute onions and 12 of the scallions in the olive oil until golden Add bell pepper, 4 of the chopped garlic cloves, and chopped serranos and continue sauteing several minutes Lower heat to medium low and add harissa and drained fava beans and cook for 5 minutes stirring often, taking care not to burn anything At this point transfer everything to a large soup or chili pot Add chopped tomatoes, honey, Doc's Special, vinegar, and all dry ingredients Simmer for 30 minutes, or until beans have thickened the chili nicely (you may have to add water (or tomato sauce) as needed, if it thickens too much, but by and large this is a thick sort of chili, often scooped up with pieces of pita

Top individual servings with lots of feta and goat cheese, and the remaining scallions, and drizzle extra virgin olive oil liberally (you may use either feta or goat, but I like it with both) If you do not like either of these cheeses, you may omit them, but something creamy ought to be added to tame the heat (perhaps a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream)

Serve over long grain basmati rice, or bowtie pasta, with warm pita wedges on the side

Tools

Comments

Permalink Donette Dornbur...
December 7, 2010

I was unable to find canned Fava beans, so used dried. I soaked them before I read the directions...you have to peel each bean! It was really good and spicy, but next time I will find canned beans.

Add comment

About

If any of you chile-heads are fans of North African cuisine in general, and fava beans in particular, I have a great recipe for you to try. Vegetarians on the list take note - no meat in this one. I made this last night, and I was very pleased with how it turned out. The Arabic name for this dish is Foule Mudammes, but I have seen mideast eateries call it Egyptian Chili in parentheses. It has nearly no heat when ordered in most restaurants, but my recipe has corrected that egregious oversight.
Mild hummus is an excellent accompaniment to help put out the fire (think of it as the guacamole with this chili)