Habas tostadas

Habas (broad beans) are a very typical bean in the Andean region, mainly in the department of Boyacá. It can be prepared in many ways. One of them is to toast them to then eat as a snack. This is a way of preparing them that I remember from my childhood because I am a lover of roasted beans, so today I will teach you how to prepare them in this way.

The beans usually harvest approximately five months after being sown, but for this preparation method it is important that they are dry. Therefore, the process can take a little longer since, like other grains, they can only dry before being collected from the crop.

The most common and easy way is to buy them from a barn, as they are not difficult to find in a barn or in a supermarket.

The beans are dried and shelled when they are ready, because as the beans grow in a pod it is very easy, although you have to be very careful.

You will only need a big pot, a spatula or wooden spoon and obviously the amount of beans you want to toast:

1. Put the pot over medium heat and put the beans inside
2. As soon as the pot begins to heat up, you should start mixing the beans slowly with some utensil, such as a wooden spoon or spatula, so that they do not burn
3. The beans will be ready when you see that they have a dark brown tone. When they are ready, remove them from the pot and let them cool

In this simple way, you will have your roasted beans ready. Some call them the “chicle boyacense”. I personally recommend that, if you have the opportunity, you try them because they are delicious. Do not eat the shell; first bite it to break it and then remove and eat it joyfully but with care, because sometimes they can be very hard.

Marcela Torres, Colombian Globetrotters.

Image sources:

https://pixabay.com/en/beans-plate-eat-green-fresh-3440415/

https://pixabay.com/en/fava-beans-food-plate-presentation-82798/

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