Arroz'd Fava - Cape Verdean Style Rice with Lima Beans
Arroz'd fava (rice with lima beans) is a staple dish in Cape Verdean cuisine. This simple rice recipe is made from long-grain white rice and lima beans cooked with bouillon, bay leaves, salt and pepper. This simple yet perfectly seasoned side dish goes well with any main course, and requires only one-pot and less than 30 minutes!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 313kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic crushed
- 1 bouillon cube large
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- pinch black pepper
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup frozen lima beans
- 2 cups long-grain white rice
Instructions
- Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a deep pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, bouillon and bay leaf. Let cook for 1-2 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Use a wooden spoon to break up the bouillon cube as the onions cook.
- Add 3 cups of water with the salt and pepper, and bring to a boil (you don't need to cover the pot for this step). Once the water starts boiling, taste it and add more salt/pepper if needed.
- As soon as the water boils, add the lima beans to the pot. Rinse and drain the rice right before adding it in with the lima beans and give a final stir, let the water start boiling again. Cover the pot with a lid and turn the flame down to the lowest setting.
- Let the rice cook for 20 minutes. For softer/fluffier rice, add 5 minutes to the cooking time. Do not disturb the rice while it is cooking. Once you're satisfied with the texture of the rice, turn the flame off, re-cover the pot with the lid, and let the rice rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Once the rice has rested, discard the bay leaf and fluff the rice with a fork. Gently toss the rice once or twice with a large spoon to distribute the lima beans and then serve.
Notes
- Baby lima beans are a great substitute if you can't locate fordhook lima beans
- Use parboiled long-grain or jasmine rice
- Inspect the rice thoroughly for pebbles and discolored grains before rinsing
- Make sure to thoroughly rinse and drain (not soak) the rice just before adding it to the pot
- Don't disturb the rice while it's cooking
- Let the rice rest and fluff it with a fork!
Nutrition
Calories: 313kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 0.03mg | Sodium: 572mg | Potassium: 229mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 53IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg