Ful Medames (Egyptian Fava Beans)

Ful medames is a classic Egyptian dish made from cooked fava beans, typically enjoyed for breakfast or as a hearty street food snack.

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried fava beans
• 4 cups water
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
• Pita bread, for serving

Steps

1. Rinse the dried fava beans under cold water and remove any impurities or debris. Place the beans in a saucepan and cover them with water.
2. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and let the beans simmer for about 1–1.5 hours, or until they are tender. Check the beans periodically and add more water if needed.
3. Once the beans are tender, drain them in a colander and return them to the saucepan.
4. Add the minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper to the saucepan with the cooked beans. Stir well to combine the ingredients and allow the flavors to meld together over low heat for a few minutes.
5. Remove the ful medames from the heat and transfer it to a serving dish.
6. Garnish the dish with freshly chopped parsley or cilantro.
7. Serve the ful medames warm with fresh pita bread or other bread of your choice.

More recipes with broad beans, garlic, lemon or cumin

Adapted from “Ful Medames (Egyptian Fava Beans)” in the Wikibooks Cookbook by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Reformatted for this site; this page's recipe text is shared under the same license.