Ful Medames

Traditionally eaten for breakfast in Egypt, ful medames (or ful mudammas), is also hugely popular in Palestine. There, as Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley tell us in Falastin: a Cookbook — from which this recipe comes, it’s often served for suhur, the pre-fast Ramadan meal. “As with all pulses,” they write “the dish either set you up for the day, if eaten in the morning, or provides comfort at the end of it, if eaten for a simple supper.” We found it also made a wonderful lunch. “Warm pita,” add Tamimi and Wigley, “as ever is a must.”

This is by far the most delicious version of the dish I’ve found. Basically, ful maedames is doctored canned fava beans, and recipes are often as simple as dumping them in a pan, heating them up, mashing a bit with garlic, chile and lemon juice, then topping with raw chopped tomato, parsley and olive oil. For this version, you drain and rinse the beans first then simmer in water — ridding them of their canned taste. Once they’re drained again, cumin is invited to the party, along with the lemon, garlic and chile. A delightful salad of red onion, sumac and parsley goes on top, along with tomato; avocado adds cool and creamy depth. Soft boiled egg, which is optional, adds another dimension.

We reviewed Falastin in July 2020.

Serves three, or four if bulked up with eggs and pita.

Ingredients

Three 14-ounce cans cooked fava beans, drained and rinsed

3 lemons; squeeze 2 to get 4 tablespoons juice and cut one into wedges

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 serrano or jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)

3/4 teaspoon sumac

1/4 cup parsley leaves

1 large avocado, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 tomato, cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 soft-boiled eggs (optional)

Warm pita bread for serving

Instructions

1. Pour 1 quart of water into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the beans and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes, just to warm through and soften up. Drain, reserving about 3 tablespoons of the water, and return the beans to the pan, along with the reserved cooking water. Add 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the garlic, serrano or jalapeño, cumin and 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Using a fork, crush the beans to form a rough mash. Set aside (or keep warm, if eating soon) until needed.

2. Place the onion in a medium bowl with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Use your hands to rub the salt in a bit, then set aside for 10 minutes for the onion to soften. Mix in the sumac and parsley and set aside.

3. Put the avocado and tomato in a bowl with the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Mix to combine and set this salsa aside.

4. Reheat the fava bean mixture, if necessary, then transfer it to a large serving platter. Smooth out the surface and make a little well in the center. Top with the avocado-tomato salsa, followed by the onion salad, then drizzle on the oil. Serve as is, with a wedge of lemon to squeeze over, or with soft-boiled eggs on top, if desired, and some warm pita alongside.

Recipe notes

• The original recipe says “Serves two generously, or four if bulked up with eggs and pita.” Fourteen ounces of beans per person plus the avocado seemed just right to us, so we changed the servings to three.

• The original recipe calls for 1/2 green chile, finely chopped, without specifying what kind, though it says that should be 1 1/2 teaspoon. Serrano seemed appropriate, so that’s what we used (and call for), seeding it first. Jalapeños are larger, but have less heat, so one of either seems about right. Of course this can be adjusted to taste.