Broad beans (fava beans) are my absolute favorite legume but they have such a short season in the US and I’ve never been able to find the frozen ones that are readily available in the UK.

Consequently, I made this dish with canned green fava/broad beans which are very good but just not quite as good as fresh or frozen. So maybe this is the dish you’ll make more frequently during those two magical weeks in the summer when fresh beans in their fat, fur-lined pods are available.

I buy smoked basmati rice in bulk from Amazon but they frequently run out of stock for extended periods, so you might try and source it from an Iranian food market. It’s deliciously different and will become an absolute favorite but in the event you can’t find it, regular Himalayan basmati rice will do very well for this unusual recipe and you could also add a sprinkle of smoked paprika to finish.

BROAD (FAVA) BEAN PULAO with PINE NUTS & DILL

Serves 6

Ingredients

15 fl oz (425ml) measure of basmati rice (plain or smoked)
16 oz /(450g) broad/fava beans, shelled weight
2 oz / 56g butter
6 spring onions, finely sliced, including most of the dark green bits
1 tsp ground allspice
A good bunch of dill, fronds stripped off the stalks and roughly chopped
A handful of pine nuts
sea salt
1 pint (0.56 liter) water

Action:

Wash the rice in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear, then soak it in plenty of water for 30 mins. Meanwhile (if using fresh or frozen), cook the broad beans in boiling unsalted water for 2 mins. Drain the beans, tip them into ice-cold water and leave them to cool. Drain them, slip the beans out of their skins and set them aside.

Heat the butter in a saucepan until foamy, then add the pine nuts, allspice and half the dill for a few mins and stir for a couple of minutes or  until the pine nuts start to turn a bit golden.

Drain the rice and add it to the pan – give it all a good stir to coat in the butter.

Add the water, sea salt to taste and the sliced green onions then bring it to a rapid boil; immediately cover with a tight fitting lid and turn the heat to very, very low. Cook for 25 minutes them turn the heat off and leave undisturbed for another 10 minutes….

Fluff the rice with a fork and fold in the fava beans and remaining dill to serve.