Lima bean hummus

Chef Seth developed this recipe that takes the South American Lima Bean and transforms it into a Middle Eastern-style spread for the menu at the Moscow 57 in NYC. The added twist of an unexpected ingredient may surprise you . . .

Note: Making this with frozen or canned lima beans doesn’t really work.

Ingredients:

2 cups large dried Lima Beans

¼ cup oil

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

4 to 5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped, to taste

1½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon Heinz Chili Sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice (more to taste)

½ cup fresh cilantro leaves.

Method:

Prepare the beans—There are several ways to soak dried beans. I recommend the following method, as it produces tender beans that are more digestible (less musical . . . )

• Sort the beans, picking out any bits of rock or plant material that might have gotten mixed in with them. Also remove any broken beans.

• In a large pot, combine the lima beans with 10 cups of fresh cold water. Bring the pot to the boil, cook for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Cover and let stand for 4 hours. Then drain them in a colander and rinse them with fresh water.

• Return the lima beans to the pot and cover them with fresh water. Bring the pot to a boil and then simmer, with the pot partially covered, for about 45 minutes. Check the beans to see if they’re tender. If not, cook them a little longer. Keep an eye on the pot while they’re cooking; you may need to add more water as you go. Once tender, drain the beans.

• Warm the oil in a large sauté pan, then add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re soft and translucent.

• Stir in the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes more.

• Add the beans and all the remaining ingredients to the pan—hold back a bit of the cilantro for garnish—and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes.

• Transfer the contents of the pan to a food processor and process until smooth. Taste the hummus and adjust the seasonings according to your preference.

• Turn the lima bean hummus into a shallow bowl or a flat plate. Smooth the top with a spatula and finish with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro. Serve with warm pita and/or crudites.

Did you make it? Was it fabulous?