Iraqi Layered Fresh Fava Bean/Broad Beans & Rice

This is another "layered" (m'tubuq) rice dish from Iraq. It's a little work cleaning the fava beans but it can be done while watching TV. Very tasty! The recipe is a high source of protein with or without meat. I make it w/o meat (if you prefer meat, it should be lamb). Since I've never really measured, the amounts are approximate and I use a rice cooker but it's not necessary, just convenient. You can replace the fava beans with baby lima beans if fava isn’t available. Fava beans are so much tastier than lima beans, though. You should be able to find them at a produce market or Middle East grocery store. I buy the fresh and double peel them, i.e. remove the large cottony outer pod then remove the shell or skin around each bean. They are also available canned and ready to cook but I still take off the little thin shell around each one.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 lbs fava beans, before cleaning
• 1  cup rice
• 1 -1 1⁄2 tablespoon  chopped fresh dill
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 2 -3  tablespoons  oil
•  salt, to taste
•  yogurt or   date syrup

Directions

1. If using a rice cooker, measure the amount of water for the rice only then add and mix all ingredients together. If using a conventional pot, mix all ingredients together and cover with water that measures about the width of a finger above the rice line. Cover, bring to a boil, lower heat and allow to steam for about 1/2 hour. You can check the rice and beans for doneness.
2. Traditionally, when the rice is half cooked, it's divided in half, the mung beans and onions are laid on the bottom half and the rest of the rice is then laid on top (hence "m'tubuq" meaning "layered". Cover again and continue to steam.
3. Serve with dollops of plain yogurt or date syrup (dibis).