A hearty and delicious Egyptian breakfast dish made from fava beans. It's seasoned with cumin, garlic and lemon juice and topped with chopped tomatoes, parsley and spring onions (scallions). Lends itself well to other garnishes and it makes for a quick and easy meal. Perfect for breakfast, lunch, a side dish or even as a main meal for dinner. Serve with flatbreads.
1tbspextra virgin olive oila good quality, well flavoured one is best
½tspAleppo chilli flakes (aka pul biber)(optional)
Instructions
Pour the whole can of beans into a medium sized saucepan. If using home cooked beans add 100ml of water.Add the cumin and garlic and bring to a gently simmer. Cook for ten minutes with the lid off.
Turn the heat off and add the lemon and salt. Give the pot a good stir.
½ lemon, ½ tsp salt
Using a potato masher, crush the beans until about half of them are puréed, but some still remain whole. Taste test for seasoning. If you feel more cumin, garlic, lemon or salt is needed, stir it in now.
Transfer to a serving dish.
Scatter the parsley, tomatoes and onions, if using, over the top. Either way, drizzle with olive oil. Finally, sprinkle with the chilli flakes, if using.
1 small bunch of parsley, 1 large ripe tomato, 2 spring onions (scallions), 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, ½ tsp Aleppo chilli flakes (aka pul biber)
Serve hot with warmed flatbreads for scooping and tahini sauce or boiled eggs for additional protein, if liked.
Notes
Serves two as a main or four as a side dish.
Ful medames is meant to be slightly runny or at least loose. It's not a dip as such, more of a stew. Although bread is used to scoop it up.
You’ll find additional tips and info about this recipe in the step-by-step guide in the body of the post.
Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on exact ingredients used.