Fresh fava beans sautéed in local ghee with onion, tomato, and cumin, served warm with tamees bread, a classic Hijazi suhoor.
Fresh fava beans in ghee is one of the original Hijazi suhoor dishes, prepared in the fresh fava bean season in early winter.
In Hijaz, local ghee is added to give the dish a rich flavor and a historical depth that goes back hundreds of years.
In a large pot, boil water with a pinch of salt and cook the fresh fava beans for 10 minutes (fresh) or 5 minutes (frozen). Drain them and reserve a cup of the cooking water.
In a wide pan, warm the local ghee and cook the onion for five minutes until it turns golden.
Add the tomato, garlic, cumin, and turmeric and leave for five minutes until they thicken.
Add the fava beans with half a cup of the cooking water. Mash half of them with the back of a spoon and leave for three more minutes.
Pour the beans into a plate and garnish with a knob of ghee and chopped parsley. Serve with warm tamees bread.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Fresh Fava Beans with Local Ghee, Hijazi Style, and how to fix them:
Add more cooking water and leave for 5 more minutes. Fresh beans need 15 minutes of boiling.
Add an extra spoon of ghee and a pinch of cumin before serving.
Lower the heat from the start and stir constantly. Ghee burns faster than oil.
Mash more beans and leave uncovered on the heat for five minutes.
Two days in a container. Reheat with a spoon of water.
One month. Let it thaw naturally.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh fava beans | Frozen fava beans | 1:1 | Available all year. |
| Local ghee | Butter | 1:1 | A lighter but poorer version. |
| Tamees bread | Arabic bread | 1:1 | More widely available. |
| Ingredient | 2 people | 4 people | 6 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green fava beans | 400 g | 800 g | 1200 g |
| Ghee | 30 g | 60 g | 90 g |
| Onion | 70 g | 140 g | 210 g |
| Tomato | 100 g | 200 g | 300 g |
Fresh fava beans need their outer skin peeled, which is a long process. Frozen peeled fava beans are a practical option that preserves the flavor.
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