Tagine of Fava Beans, Green Beans and Artichoke Hearts
6 servings
Every spring I make at least one dish containing fava beans. They are labor-intensive because in addition to shelling them, they must be peeled after cooking. Their unique flavor, however, warrants the extra work at least once in the season. You can substitute other shelled beans that do not have to be peeled, such as lima or cranberry beans. Farmers' markets are good hunting grounds for fresh beans. This recipe is a simplified version of a tagine, the Moroccan stew that is prepared in a couscoussiere, an ingenious double-boiler-type arrangement in which the tagine cooks in the lower vessel and the couscous sits above it to cook in the fragrant steam from the tagine.
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
- 1 ½ tsp. cumin seeds
- 2 medium carrots, quartered lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 10 oz. fresh fava beans, shucked, blanched and peeled (2 cups) or 10-oz. pkg. frozen lima beans
- 8 oz. green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 6 freshly cooked artichoke hearts or 9-oz. pkg. frozen artichoke hearts (do not thaw)
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- ¼ cup slivered sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 tsp. sugar
- ¾ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. turmeric
- ½ tsp. paprika
- ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. saffron threads
- ⅔ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of asafetida (optional)
- Apricot Couscous for serving (recipe follows)
at a glance
