There is nothing nicer then cooking a dish that reminds you of your childhood. That smell that takes you back to the moment you would come home and your mother would be cooking your favourite foods. That is the best food memories you can have as a child.
Fousiliya (Broadbean Lamb Stew) is one of my favourite comfort foods, especially in the cooler weather.
Recipe for Fousiliya (Broadbean Lamb Stew)
Ingredients
1kg diced lamb
2 cups of red beans
6 teaspoons of tomato paste
10 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon of Lebanese all spices
1/2 cup of Pomegranate Molasses
1/3 teaspoon of cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
3-4 cinnamon sticks (optional)
Bunch of fresh Coriander (chopped)
1 cup of Jasmine rice
1/2 cup of vermicelli
Instructions
Preparing the Fousiliya
Soak the beans for 6 hours or overnight.
When ready, rinse them then add to a cooking pot with 6 cups of water, boil for 5 minutes then drain the beans and discard their water.
Add the beans back to the pot with 6 cups of fresh water and bring to a boil again, then lower heat to minimum and let simmer for 40-80 minutes depending on what type of beans you have. Well cooked beans get smashed easily between your finger tips.
Add 1 finely chopped onion to a deep pot and lightly fry with 3-4 table spoons of oil (olive oil) on medium heat while stirring.
When onions start turning a bit pinkish (10 minutes in), add the minced garlic and chopped coriander, and sautee for a couple of minutes.
Cut meat into small cubes (2 cm) and add to pot on top of onions and garlic
Then add  salt, all spices, black pepper, ground cinnamon to meat pot, stir well for a few minutes until the beef turns light brown
Add 3 cups of warm water to the meat pot, stir well and bring to a boil
Pour the cooked beans with their water on top of the meat pot
Add the tomato paste and pomegranate molasses, stir well, and let simmer on low heat for another 20-30 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Preparing the Lebanese Rice
You must rinse the rice to get rid of excess starch.
In a pot, melt the butter and crack the Vermicelli in your hands and put in the pot.
When the Vermicelli is golden, add the washed rice and about 2 cups of water to cover the rice about 1-2 cm.
Let it cook on low heat for about 20 min, till the rice is fluffy and not sticky.
Once the rice is fully cooked, let it rest for 10-15 minutes or so, then fluff it with a fork. This again helps keep the rice from becoming sticky or gluey.