Fava Beans in Olive Oil – Zeytinyagli Bakla

Remove the strings of fava beans by cutting out the strings on each side or pulling the strings out. If a piece of bean is too big, remove the beans from inside, discarding the outside. Wash and drain.

Place 1 table spoon flour in a large bowl, slowly add water, dissolving the flour at first, then add the rest of the water and lemon juice. Put the beans into this water, set aside. Lemon and flour in the water will preserve the fresh color of the beans, avoiding darkening of the color.

In a large pot, sauté onions in olive oil for about 3-4 minutes. Drain the beans, discard the flour water. Add beans to the pot. In a small bowl combine 1 teaspoon of flour with 1 1/2 cup boiling water, stirring to dissolved the flour. Add the flour water to the pot. Add sugar and salt to taste. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Then reduce the heat to slow, let it simmer until the beans are tender, about 30-45 minutes depending on the size and freshness of the beans. When cooked, remove from heat, sprinkle fresh dill on it. Serve at room temperature with yogurt.