Foul moukalla beans with garlic and coriander

Serves 6

“Foul moukalla, meaning sautéed beans in Arabic, is particularly Syrian when the broad beans used in the dish are young and small in size, making them tender, as their skin is not chewy. When the smaller kind cannot be found, the beans must be podded, removing the skin, which makes for a more flavoursome dish.

It is served as a cold mezze starter with yoghurt, lemon and bread on the side ,” says Soubra.

Ingredients

1kg broad beans

70ml olive oil

6-8 garlic cloves, minced

100g fresh coriander, finely

chopped

¼ tsp salt

Juice of 1 lemon

250g yoghurt

Arabic pita bread

Method

In a large pot, bring enough water to the boil to cover the broad beans. Drop them gently into the water and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Drain the beans and drop them into ice water. Pierce the skin with a small sharp knife or using your finger, and push the bean out. Discard the skin.

In a pan, warm the olive oil on low heat, being careful not to burn it.

Add the garlic and coriander and cook for a minute, just to release the flavour. Do not brown them.

Drop the podded beans into the pan, remove from the heat and stir to gently combine everything.

Add the lemon juice, stir and serve at room temperature or cold, with bread and yoghurt.