Fava Beans with Ghee Recipe & Shahara Bridge ,Yemen

Fava Beans with Ghee Recipe

This is my favorite fava bean recipe because it’s simple yet incredibly delicious,  and also because it reminds me of  my favorite moments with my Dad, Allah Yirhamoh. Late at night, Dad and I would  eat this with fried eggs. It’s perfect for breakfast, supper or Sahoor. The ingredients are :

1.      A can of fava beans (these are the ones I recommend:1  or 2)

2.    3 clove of garlic finely minced

3.    2 tablespoons of ghee

4.    1/8 tsp of freshly ground black pepper

5.     salt to taste

Empty the can of fava beans into a bowl and coarsely mash with a fork. Then Place a deep frying pan, under medium heat, and add the fava beans. Then add the minced garlic, black pepper, salt and 1 tbs of ghee. Let boil for 10 minutes under low heat. Do not let it dry–if it does then add some water. After 1o minutes, pour onto a serving platter and sprinkle with the remainder of the ghee. Serve hot with Yemeni bread, or Naan. For added flavor, toast the Yemeni or Naan bread–see picture above.

I’ve already posted about the Fava Beans with Ghee the Yemeni cuisine, and this is one more place to add to must – see Yemen list. Maybe it’s just easier to say – see EVERYTHING.

Shahara is famous for the Bridge of Sighs which is even featured on the country’s 10 Rial coin. This engineering marvel spans a sheer 300 foot deep canyon. Built in the early 17th Century, this famous bridge has stood the test of time.

From both sides of the bridge the mountains parted and revealed a glimpse of the enormous valley. The bridge must be crossed in order to access the mountain fortress town of Shahara and its beautiful terraced fields.

Shahareh or Shehara is a large mountain village and seat of Shaharah District of the 'Amran Governorate, Yemen. The village "lies at 2600 metres and overlooks mountainous bulging swells to the south and shimmering hot plains to the north.The village, which lies on top a sharp mountain of the same name, Jabal Shaharah, consists of several old stone houses and a cistern. The area is noted for its limestone arch bridge, constructed in the 17th century by a local lord to connect two villages across a deep gorge.

Shahara Bridge

The Shahara – A village located at the top the peaks of the magnificent Jabal Shahara. Shahara was once a stronghold for the Imams. This stimulated city could sustain itself for months on end in cases of isolation. Travelers come to Shahara is to watch the well-known Bridge of Sighs. This bridge was constructed in 17th century to connect towns at the tops of mountains in the state ofYemen. Shahara Bridge built to fight against Turkish invaders. Many say that the local people can eliminate the bridge in few minutes in case of any imminent danger. It’s a scary bridge and a popular tourist attraction. The local residents still cross it often as a part of their daily routine. The manufacturing genius of this bridge spans a sheer 300 foot deep canyon. It can be reached by climbing the many stepped slopes or, selecting the path of least resistance, by accompanying a local guide with you.

The architect of the footbridge is Salah al-Yaman who constructed the bridge at the order of a local leader, Al Usta Saleh. No one really knows exactly how the bridge was built especially at that time, but a few legends try to offer some explanations. One story goes that several bridges were built below the major bridge to help with the transfer of supplies up the rugged terrain. Remnants of the minor bridges are still present today. Another legend explains that al-Yaman is credited with building only ten meters of the bridge and the remaining ten meters were believed to have been completed by an unknown person from the adjacent mountain. It is widely known however that the bridge took over three years to construct and cost around 100,000 French Riyals, an enormous amount of money at the time.