It’s very important to change the water for the whole wheat and dried Fava beans after 24 hours of soaking them in water. Most recipes call for cooking these 3 ingredients in just water then add the seasoning after they are almost done cooking. I prefer to add a small onion and some minced garlic to the ingredients. I am sharing the very basic recipe that is usually prepared for the Berber New Year in some regions of Algeria or for a baby who starts teething. This is a very filling dish and yet very Healthy!
Algerian Healthy Dish called Cherchem- The basic recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried Fava beans
- 1 cup whole wheat
- 1 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight and rinsed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cumin or more(to taste).
- Olive oil for serving
Instructions
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Soak the dried Fava beans in water for 48 hours. Make sure to rinse and change the water after 24 hours.
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Soak the dried whole wheat in water for 48 hours. Make sure to rinse and change the water after 24 hours.
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Put the rinsed dried Fava beans and the rinsed whole wheat in a saucepan.
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Add bay leaf, minced onion and garlic.
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Add about 6 cups cold water.
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Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.
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Reduce the heat to low and let cook partially covered until tender. I cook it partially covered to let the vapor escape and prevent a white foam from overflowing.
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After 45 minutes of cooking, the dried fava beans and whole wheat are tender then add the chickpeas.
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Let cook on low, partially covered for about 30 minutes or until everything is cooked.
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Add salt, black pepper and cumin. Let cook with the seasoning for about 15 minutes (the liquid is reduced at this point).
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Serve warm with a drizzle of olive oil.
Recipe Notes
- The cooking time depends on your ingredients.
- If you don’t have much liquid, just add a little boiled water.