About this Dish
Egypt's ancient breakfast — slow-cooked fava beans dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and cumin, eaten with flatbread. One of the oldest continuously eaten foods in human history, with evidence of consumption dating back 5,000 years. Called the food of the people, ful medames sustains Egypt's working population every morning.
IngredientsServes 4
🫘Dried fava beans (ful medames), 400g soaked overnight
🧄Garlic cloves, 4 large, minced
🍋Lemons, 2, juiced
🫒Extra virgin olive oil, 4 tablespoons, plus extra to serve
🟤Ground cumin, 1.5 teaspoons
🧅Small red onion, 1, finely chopped
🍅Ripe tomatoes, 2, finely diced
🌿Fresh flat-leaf parsley, a generous handful, roughly chopped
🌶️Fresh green chilli, 1, finely chopped (optional)
🧂Salt and black pepper, to taste
Method
1
Drain your soaked fava beans and place them in a large pot. Cover generously with fresh cold water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours until the beans are completely tender and some are starting to break down — do not add salt yet as it toughens the skins.2
Once the beans are soft, drain them but reserve about a cup of the cooking liquid. Return the beans to the pot over low heat and use the back of a spoon or a fork to roughly mash about half the beans, leaving the rest whole — this gives the dish its characteristic thick, creamy texture.3
Add the minced garlic, ground cumin, lemon juice, and olive oil directly into the pot with the beans. Stir everything together well, adding splashes of the reserved cooking liquid to loosen the mixture to a porridge-like consistency that holds its shape on a plate.4
Season generously with salt and black pepper, then taste and adjust — ful should be bold with lemon and cumin, so don't be shy. Let the flavours meld together on low heat for another 5 minutes.5
Spoon the warm ful onto a large flat plate or into shallow bowls and spread it out slightly. Drizzle a good glug of olive oil over the top — this is not optional, it is essential.6
Scatter the chopped tomatoes, red onion, parsley, and green chilli over the top to finish. Serve immediately with warm Egyptian flatbread or pitta for scooping, and put extra lemon wedges and olive oil on the table.User Reviews
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