Caramelised Onion Ful Nabed with Smoked Quinoa Crackers

Camelina Christmas dip Dried Peas Fava Fava Beans Flour Gluten-free Grains and Seeds Hummus Mediterranean Middle Eastern Peas Poppy Seeds Pulse Flour Pulses Seeds Smoked Quinoa Split Fava Beans Summer Yellow Pea Flour

by The Cook and Him August 02, 2019

Food bloggers The Cook and Him created this wonderfully creamy ful nabed (just like hummus but made with ful or fava beans, not chickpeas) garnished with caramelised onion and accompanied with deliciously smoky quinoa and pea flour crackers.

As this mouthwatering recipe demonstrates, ful nabed deserves to be just as widely eaten as the ubiquitous chickpea hummus, the split fava beans providing a deeply aromatic and faintly earthy flavour, offset here by the sweetness of the caramelised onion. The smoked quinoa and pea flour crackers make the perfect accompaniment to this Middle Eastern dip.

Makes 30 Cookies

Ingredients

Crackers:

1/2 cup Smoked Quinoa
1 cup Vegetable Stock (or 1 cup water and a Vegetable Stock cube)
1 cup Yellow Split Pea Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tblsp Camelina Seeds
1 tblsp Poppy Seeds
1 tsp Salt
3 tblsp Olive Oil
3-5 tblsp Cold Water

Ful nabed:

1 cup Split Fava Beans
3 Brown Onions, peeled and finely sliced
1/2 Lemon
1 tblsp Tahini
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1-2 tblsp Olive Oil (plus a drizzle for garnish)
Salt and Pepper

Method

Start by cooking the fava beans - put into a non-stick saucepan, cover with water and gently simmer for around 45 minutes until soft, stir frequently and top up with water as needed
While the fava beans are cooking, gently fry the onions with the garlic and a drizzle of olive oil over a low-medium heat, stirring frequently, for around 2o minutes until the onions are very soft and lightly caramelised
Cook the quinoa in the vegetable stock for 10-15 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy, stirring from time to time
Once the fava beans, onions and quinoa are cooked set aside for around half an hour to cool
Preheat the oven to 180 Fan / 200 C / 400 F / Gas 6 and line 1-2 large baking trays with parchment or silicon mats
To make the crackers put the quinoa into a food processor along with the flour, baking powder, salt, both the seeds and the olive oil. Whizz until just blended together
Add the water 1-2 tblsp at a time until a soft dough starts to form then tip out onto a sheet of baking parchment. Knead very lightly to bring the dough together then lay another sheet of parchment over the top and roll out to about 5mm thick
Bake for 20 minutes until lightly golden then leave to cool
While they're cooking finish the ful nabed - put the cooled fava beans into a food processor along with the cooked onions and garlic, reserving a spoonful for the top for decoration if you like! Add the remaining ful nabed ingredients and whizz until well blended and smooth. Taste for seasoning.
Store both in airtight containers, keeping the ful nabed in the fridge.

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