Bissara is Morocco’s answer to a breakfast bowl: thick, warm, and deeply comforting. Split fava beans simmer with crushed garlic until they collapse, then are blended into a velvet puree and seasoned with cumin and paprika. On top, sardines are pan-crisped until their edges bronze, the perfect salty bite against the soft beans. A quick chermoula oil – herbs, garlic, lemon, and spice – finishes the bowl like a bright green punctuation mark. Serve warm with bread and mint tea nearby, always Serve warm with bread
| 250 g split fava beans (or split peas), rinsed | |
| 1.2 L water | |
| 4 cloves garlic, crushed | |
| 1 tsp cumin + more to finish | |
| 1 tsp paprika | |
| Salt | |
| 3 tbsp olive oil | |
| Chermoula oil: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp chopped cilantro; 1 small clove garlic, grated; 1/2 tsp cumin; 1/2 tsp paprika; pinch chili; lemon squeeze | |
| 8 sardine fillets (fresh or canned, drained well) | |
| 1–2 tbsp flour (for dusting sardines), optional | |
| Khobz or toasted bread |
Creamy bissara becomes a full meal with crisp sardines on top and a sharp chermoula oil drizzled over everything. Serve with warm khobz and extra cumin for real Moroccan comfort.
| 1. | Simmer beans with water + garlic on medium for 35–40 minutes until they crush easily between fingers. |
| 2. | Blend (or mash) until velvet-smooth. Adjust with hot water until thick like a warm puree, not thin soup. |
| 3. | Stir in cumin, paprika, salt, and 2 tbsp olive oil. Let it bubble 2 minutes to wake up the spices. |
| 4. | Make chermoula oil: stir olive oil with cilantro, grated garlic, cumin, paprika, chili, and lemon. Taste—should be bold. |
| 5. | Crisp sardines: pat dry. Optional: dust lightly with flour. Pan-sear in a thin slick of oil on medium-high for 1–2 minutes per side until edges crisp. |
| 6. | Bowl it up: bissara + sardines on top + a generous drizzle of chermoula oil + extra cumin. Bread on the side. |
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