Lima bean hummus

The epitome of Global eating…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…

Ingredients:

• 2 cups large dried Lima Beans

• ¼ cup oil

• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped

• 4-5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

• 1 ½ teaspoons salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• 1/8 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.