Resipi Kacang Pool

In the previous post, blogger Hliza asked about the taste of kacang pool. It is quite hard to describe. So I thought that if I posted the recipe, readers who are unfamiliar with the dish can sort of guess the taste by reading the ingredients used in its preparation.

While my whole family likes this dish, there are some people who do not. It is not widely available at restaurants or foodstalls. I know of only 3 places in Johor Bahru that sell it. When I previously lived in Kuala Lumpur for 3 years, I never came across it. After posting about this dish last year (click -> here), I received an email from a reader who says that he runs a cafe in Shah Alam that serves kacang pool. I haven't had a chance yet to drop by his place so I can't say if his kacang pool tastes okay. But if any readers in Klang Valley wish to give it a try, you can click this Facebook link for more information -> Fiescanto Cafe.

Kacang pool is originally a middle-eastern dish called foul medames (or variants of it, depending on region). The recipe I'm putting up here is of course, a local variation as modified by my mother. So here goes, the first ever recipe in Just Observations...

Ingredients (serves 4) :

1. Broad beans (a.k.a fava beans) - 250g. The dried beans are actually quite difficult to find in the local market. You can substitute with the canned variety.

2. Curry powder - 1 cup

3. Coriander - 5 tablespoons

4. Cumin - 5 tablespoons

5. Onions - 4 nos. (3 for cooking and 1 for garnish)

6. Garlic - 9 cloves

7. Ghee - around 3 to 4 tablespoons, for frying

8. Green chillies - around 3 to 4, for garnishing

9. Salt and white pepper - to taste

10. Eggs - 4 nos.

Method :

1. Soak the broad beans overnight until they soften. You can skip this step if you use the canned stuff. Boil in a pot of water until soft and cooked. Put in blender and puree for a short while until medium to soft consistency. Set aside.

2. Dry roast the coriander and cumin in a frying pan until brown and fragrant. Allow to cool and then grind to a powder. Mix together with the curry powder.

3. Puree onions and garlic in blender. Add to spice powder and mix evenly.

4. Heat up pot and melt the ghee. Saute the spice/onion/garlic paste until fragrant. Add the broad beans and cook over medium heat for 15min to 20min. Add some water if mixture is too thick. Add salt and white pepper to taste.

Serving :

1. Dice one onion and roughly chop the green chilles to be used as garnishing.

2. Fry the eggs in ghee, preferably sunny side up.

3. Place bean mix in a bowl. Put fried egg on top. Garnish with onions and chilles. Sprinkle with a bit of the melted ghee. Squeeze a bit of lime juice, if desired.

4. Serve with bread of your choice.

In the middle-east, foul medames is eaten with traditional flat bread. Personally, I prefer to eat it with french bread or baguette. Cut the baguette in 1-inch thick slices. Lightly toast them in an oven so that the outside is crisp but the inside still soft. Tear off a bite-sized piece and dip it in the kacang pool. Ummm... sedaaaap.