If you haven’t already met, please allow me to acquaint you with some friends of mine. Yes, it’s time you got to know these Posh Spicy Beans…
It’s been a while now since KD introduced me to these guys, made by Olives et al and available for sale here in Fallon & Byrne (rumours of whose descent into administration I hope are greatly exaggerated). This particular way with broad beans was a new one on me, though I have since discovered that roasted broad beans (and fried ones too) are popular as snacks in some Asian and Mediterranean jurisdictions. In any case, let me tell you now that these fancy little guys were (a) addictive (b) quite unlike other beans that I have had the pleasure of meeting (c) just the thing to accompany a cold beverage. I was very happy to make their acquaintance, even if they weren’t exactly that cheap.
Fast forward to my next visit to the Asia Market, where I came across dried split broad beans. I straight away got to wondering if I couldn’t recreate the glory of my posh spicy friends at home and for cheap. After a bit of foraging about on the internet and a few experiments in the lab kitchen later, I’m happy to report that I created that and more. I did, however, have to eat a lot of broad beans in the process, not to mention downing quite a few cold beers. All in the name of research you understand…
Basic Roasted Broad Beans
The Summary:
- Makes enough roasted broad beans for 3-4 people to nibble on while having a nice cold beer & takes approx. 6-8 hours of soaking time + 20 min to prep + 30 min to roast
You’ll need:
- 125g dried split broad beans
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 4 tsp olive oil
You’ll also need:
- One large cookie sheet or shallow baking tray – about 30cm x 40cm should do it – or use a couple of smaller trays.
The Steps:
- Soak the broad beans for 6-8 hours or overnight.
- When you’re ready to start cooking, preheat the oven to 180C.
- Drain the broad beans, rinse well, place in a saucepan and cover with about 5-600mls of cold water.
- Bring the broad beans to a boil over a medium-high heat and boil for about 7 minutes. This is just to soften them somewhat (so you should be able to pierce them with a fork, but they should not be remotely mushy). Without this step, I find the roasted broad beans to be just a bit too hard.
- Drain the broad beans and allow to cool a little.
- Mix the salt and olive oil and then toss the broad beans in this mixture.
- Spread the broad beans out on the baking tray and place in the oven to roast for about 25-30 minutes or until golden.
- Allow to cool on the tray and try not to eat too many of them before serving them to guests along with the beverage of their choice.
Bombay Beans
I was inspired by this recipe here to make this particular variation. Ajwain is a spice that’s somewhat like thyme but more pungent and with a real bite to it. It’s one of the characteristic flavourings used in bombay mix.
The Summary:
- As per the basic recipe, makes enough for 3-4 servings & takes approx. 6-8 hours of soaking time + 20 min to prep + 30 min to roast
You’ll need:
- 125g dried split broad beans
- 1 tsp ajwain seeds
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 4 tsp olive oil
The Steps:
- Follow the basic recipe for roasted broad beans above, but, for a bit of added bite, add 1 tsp of ajwain seeds to the salt and olive oil before coating the broad beans.
Posh Spicy Beans
This is my attempt at recreating the habas mojado pictured at the top of the post. The coating may not have adhered as well to the broad beans as the shop-bought version, but they were equally as addictive. They’re actually not overly spicy, so add more cayenne if you’d like a bigger chilli kick.
The Summary:
- Makes enough for 3-4 servings & takes approx. 6-8 hours of soaking time + 30 min to prep + 35 min to roast
You’ll need:
- 125g dried split broad beans
- 50g plain flour
- 0.25 tsp fine-grained salt
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 4 tblsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 25g coarse-grained brown sugar (I used unrefined demerara)
- couple of twists of freshly ground black pepper
The Steps:
- Soak, boil and drain the broad beans as per the basic recipe for roasted broad beans above.
- Preheat the oven to 180C.
- Place the flour, salt and cayenne in a bowl and whisk together.
- Gradually whisk in the olive oil. The mixture will have the consistency of a thick paste.
- Stir in the crushed garlic, sugar and black pepper.
- Toss the broad beans well in this mixture and then spread them out on the cookie sheet or baking tray. As the mixture is very sticky, the beans will tend to clump together, so you’ll need to pick the clumps apart so that the beans are spread evenly. Also, don’t worry too much about the fact that some beans end up with more of the coating than others. I didn’t and the results still tasted good.
- Place the tray in the oven to roast the broad beans for about 35 minutes or so. The coating should have browned lightly.
- See how long it is before you can resist having one, and then another, and then another…
ohh. those all sound so good. i’ve never seen those beans sound delicious – i’ll have to look for them!
Those look delicious! YUMMMY – I just love all the flavors, and that is the best part of making it yourself, you can do them anyway you like!
You are both Gifted and Amazing! And thank you so very much for subjecting yourself to downing beer after beer after bean after bean. You are a Dedictated Food Blogger, indeed! No wonder you have a Winning Blog! :D
PS My secret words for posting this are “Symphony Jones.” I think that will be my new stripper name. You know, if I ever start stripping.
I have not cooked with broad beans – sounds like a fascinating ingredient and your preparations look delicious!
I am unfamiliar with the broad bean – we like beans around here, though, almost as much as potatoes. I also gave you an award on my site – check it our when you get a chance.
those all look good…especially the spicy ones!
I don’t think I have had broad beans. Looking at your picture though I’m beginning to question what I saw at our feira last night in town. I couldn’t tell if it was a large broken bean or a large peanut, but now that I’m thinking about it it might have been broad beans. I, of course, didn’t get the name in Portuguese. I think I’ll pick up a bag next time and test my luck. Then I can try these amazing recipes!
Heather: I’m not sure what the most common name for these beans is in the States, but you might know them as fava beans rather than broad beans; basically the same bean, as far as I’m aware
Jenn: Absolutely – you can spice them up in whatever way you feel like!
Symphony Jones: Dedication to Beer, Beans and Spuds. What a grand epitaph that would be :)
Natasha: thanks! they’re a great bean either fresh or dried (or roasted as in this case)
Mama Chicken: thanks so much for that, very kind of you
kickpleat: the spicy ones are very more-ish
Lori: goodness knows what the Portuguese term would be, but large peanut size sounds about right size-wise at least…
I helped with the Beer and Bean lab work. It was a tough job but no sacrifice is too great for this worthy work.
Thank you kindly for the link to the Wiki definition – I didn’t recognize ‘broad beans’ but have heard of favas, which I’ve never tasted, no thanks to the mental image of a slurping Anthony “Hannibal Lecter” Hopkins enjoying ‘fava beans with a nice Chianti’. But these are just the thing to banish that! Does the brown sugar add a noticeable sweet element to taste? Finally, let’s get some more details . . . what was the cold brew of choice? I like Bulmer’s/Magner’s .
Great recipe! I love roasted broad beans and have thought about making them myself, now I’ll have to!
Beans have never looked so good.
Ange: you’re such a martyr to the cause…
Tangled Noodle: yes, the Hannibel Lecter/ fava bean association is not a good one! The brown sugar adds a definite sweet element to the taste (you could think of them as sweet chili beans). As for beverage of choice – the first time I had the shop-bought beans, there was prosecco involved, while the bombay beans scream cold beer, a corona maybe or, even better, an Indian beer like Cobra. I would think Bulmers an entirely suitable accompaniment to the ones that are posh and spicy.
Candi: thanks for stopping by, hope I’ve inspired you to roast some beans of your own :)
noble pig: photogenic little beans, alright!
Okay. I know broad beans. They are fine enough. But this POSH stuff is over my head. What’s that? I mean I have your recipe to go on. But I think we Yankees are sadly under educated in this area. I need to know more. I need to try these things. If I go to my Asian Market (Thai) will I get on the right direction. You may have to email me direct with more info. I may not sleep til I try these. I am that into these beans. GREG
When I first saw the title, I thought there might be some connection with the lady that crossed the pond with her soccer, er, sorry football playing husband. This is so much better than I imagined – thank you!
Now this sounds good. The posh spicy version looks really, really good. Totally good!
That’s amazing. As a side to our drinks, we generally make an appetizer with broad beans and we call it “fava”. This bombay beans will be a great alternative.
Greg: your Asian market is a good bet for getting your dried broad bean fix – I’m not sure how into these beans the Thais are, but the Chinese certainly seem to like ’em a lot. Start there and then try to get some sleep!
OysterCulture: I stopped short of calling these Beckham Beans, that really would have been too much, lol
Duo Dishes: very good indeed :)
zerrin: would love to hear how you make your fava!
The Posh Beans look like they’d be teribly addictive. I have to give your recipe a try.
Whoa! A new one for me as well…I may not sleep until I also try these…great post!
I’ve never tried using dried fava beans before but these preparations look delicious!
ooh yum love this idea! Nice pics, too!
Maggie: they are addictive, which is both good and bad!
Chef E: who’d have thought there’d be lots of folks losing sleep over these, lol
Marc: definitely worth experimenting with
Megan: thanks, break out the cold drinks and enjoy!
Hello, I am wanting to try the roasted broad bean recipe but I’m not confident that I will be able to get dried broad beans. Can you substitute with fresh or frozen instead or wouldn’t they work?
Cheers, Rachel
Hi Rachel – thanks for dropping in! I’m afraid that fresh or frozen broad beans would be quite different to the dried beans and I wouldn’t expect them to work in the same way. To be honest, I haven’t tried roasting fresh beans so I’m not entirely sure how that would turn out.
About to do this recipe with broad beans fresh from my garden. It’s similar to one I use for chestnuts; the very best beer snack, when parboiled, then fried in good hot olive oil with a sprinkling of sea salt and cayenne pepper. I’m doing the broad beans to accompany a chilli coriander spiced brew of my own.
Sounds excellent Rob – some mighty good brew snacks there I’ll warrant!
hello i have been growing broad beans 15 year & have always wondered how to roast them .Iam half way through harvest for 2010 an its raining today so i thought get on the internet look up some recipes ,thanks for the ideas.
Hi Robert – glad you found this useful. Would love to have some of your home grown broad beans – must try growing them myself sometime!
Thanks very much for these recipes, they are brilliant! My mum used to bring back packets of habas fritas from Portugal & they were gorgeous but I’ve never been able to find them here in Scotland. I found your recipes via a google search yesterday & tried out the basic recipe on fresh broad beans – boiled them for 3 minutes, removed the skins & then roasted them with olive oil & rock salt – they were a different animal from the dry packet beans but absolutely divine, can’t recommend highly enough!
Thanks for letting me know Laura, I will definitely have to try the fresh bean version now!
These look great. However I too am confused by the different names of bean.
I know that broad beans and fava beans are the same, but are broad beans and butter beans the same also? I’ve read that they are, yet butter beans are white and broad beans are generally green.
Hi Jim, I wouldn’t have said that broad beans and butter beans were the same thing. Fresh broad beans will have a green skin but if they’ve been dried, the outer skin will be brownish or, if the skin has already been removed (which you will want to do in the case of broad beans), what you’re left with will be a creamy-coloured bean that naturally splits into 2 halves. Butter beans I’ve only ever used in their dried form – in which case they’re large-ish, creamy-coloured beans – and I’d expect to find them whole, not split as with broad beans. Hope that helps!
Hi addicted to roasted broad beans and can’t wait to try receipy.Could only find the whole dries beans not split so will try them and maybe just double the time for each step.The package one that I get also has garlic and onion powder in mix and just delicious.
Hi Monica,
I have made these starting with the whole dried beans. The one extra step (which does take a bit of time) is that after the beans have soaked, you’ll need to remove the skins (though they should come off easily enough). Once you’ve done that, the beans should split naturally into halves (some may not, but don’t worry about that). From there, you can proceed as per the recipe. The other thing, of course, is that you will need to start with a greater weight of beans because the skins will need to be removed. I’d guess maybe start with around 200g dried whole beans in place of the 125g dried split beans. Hope that helps!
I’ve just tried your recipe in an Airfryer and the results were EXCELLENT, thanks. I used Bodrum brand split broad beans soaked overnight, rinsed and well dried – no skin to be removed which was great. I was going to boil a 2nd batch if results weren’t good but was delighted with first result.
I simply sprayed the soaked and dried beans with a little oil and cooked until golden brown. Flavour and texture is great, very similar to the packet product. Got to leave them to cool so they have the best crunch.
Hubbie really happy as he loves habas.I’m now going to try to replicate spicy fried peas, another very moreish snack.
Hi Dorothy, thanks so much for letting me know! Always happy to hear how recipes have turned out.
I was searching for a recipe to make Habas as I have a bumper crop of broad beans this year and they are never so good once frozen. I probably will eat them all at once but as I do have about 1000 does anyone know if they keep once roasted?
Hi Georgina, have you thought about trying to dry some of your beans instead of freeze them? This particular recipe actually uses dried beans to begin with, not fresh (and I think it would be quite different with fresh beans, though, to be honest, I haven’t tried it that way). In either case, I don’t imagine that they would keep too long once roasted (though they’ve never lasted around here long enough for me to find out!)
Hi Daily Spud. I bought a packet of Spicy Broad Beans, ‘Savour’ brand (hope I’m allowed to give the brand name). They were absolutely delicious. These were made in China, and imported to Australia. So, I went on line looking for recipes, and came across yours. I am going to try with fresh broad beans. If that fails, will go to our Asian grocer and get some dried beans. Thanks a heap for your recipe.
I’ve had something like these plainer roast broad beans http://www.olivesetal.co.uk/view/products/nutssnacks/snacks/detail/48/ and they’re seriously addictive and quite pricey. I spent ages trawling through recipies for roasting coffee beans when I tried to search for how to make them, so thanks for this, I definitely need to source some dried broad beans and try.
I also like these http://www.thefooddoctor.com/ROASTED-BEAN-MIX-150g-TUB-PBEANMIXTUB/ which are even pricier, and have other types of beans in too, some black whole ones a bit like small kidney beans, and brown ones and split peas I think. Have you tried other dried beans? (I sound bean obsessed, I’m looking for nut free snacks for allergy reasons).
Someones shown me this recipe, which looks interesting but I don’t think canned ones would be the same. By the way have you tried roasting cauliflower with a little oil, completely different vegetable and utterly fantastic. Ok, rant ovet
Ps missed link to chick pea recipe http://throughthemagicdoor.net/2013/03/15/spicy-roasted-chickpeas/
Hi there RB and thanks for the assortment of interesting links! For these recipes, you’re right – canned beans would not be the same I think. I haven’t tried these with other dried beans (though I should!) – I have tried roasted chickpeas though, which are a definite winner (you can see my version here: https://www.thedailyspud.com/2011/05/26/chickpea-salad-roasted-chickpeas-lebanese/) & have to agree on roasted cauliflower. Love roasted broccoli too, especially with a little added parmesan.
Can’t wait to try these recipes with our split dried fava beans (ie broad beans harvested dry) – http://hodmedods.co.uk/product-category/dried-pulses/split-fava-beans/
Sounds to me like a very good use for your beans Nick!
These sound amazing and I can’t wait till May to try them out with my home-grown fresh broad beans. I wonder if freezing the beans first would help the batter mix to stick to them (works with deep fried cheese)
Have not tried freezing the beans first, so can’t say if it would help the batter to stick – if you try it, you’ll have to let me know!