Ful medames

Created by Alice Ibrahim
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  • Cuisine: Egyptian

Cooked very slowly, traditionally overnight in a copper pot, this is one of Egypt’s national dishes, often eaten for breakfast. Fava beans and lentils are cooked until they are soft, flavoured with olive oil, lemon juice, herbs and spices and typically eaten with Egyptian bread. This dish is a tasty and solid start to the day, particularly during Ramadan when Muslims fast during daylight hours.

Ingredients

2 cups of dried fava beans (broadbeans)
1 cup red lentils
3 cups water
Cumin
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
 

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Preparation

Rinse the fava beans and lentils. Cover with water and soak overnight.
In the morning, drain the beans and lentils and rinse again. Place them in a large saucepan and cover with three cups of water. Boil on high heat until frothy. Skim the froth as it accumulates and then cover the saucepan and boil on the lowest heat for up to five hours or until the beans are fully cooked and the liquid has reduced.

Add salt, pepper, a generous amount of cumin and lemon juice to taste. Lastly drizzle a liberal amount of olive oil over the top.

For a sandwich-style snack, serve in a pocket of unleavened bread with fresh salad, tahini and pickles.

Note: This dish thickens as it cools so be careful not to remove too much moisture during the cooking process.
 

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Comments (5)

   
30 May 2009 09:03 AEST
Norma
Northbridge
Chili!
Someone forgot the red chilli!!! No chilli, no ful for me :)
Agree (1 people agree)
Disagree (1 people disagree)
12 Feb 2009 03:02 AEST
Steven
Brisbane
Delicious
Can't wait to try it. Brings back memories of Cairo - I loved the stuff there. Maeve, I agree with Joe, can we get the recipe for the salad posted here as well please?
Agree (2 people agree)
Disagree (0 people disagree)
07 Feb 2009 03:51 AEST
maeve
kismet productions
baharat - Egyptian style
To answer Joe, Ramy Megalaa who was in teh show says: You will find that Baharat or spice mix prepared across Egypt will differ from one region to the other and it can even differ from one house to the other, that's in regards to the amount. however, the ingredients should be the same and the one i use myself at Tagine is Equal Quantity white pepper & cinnamon to half quantity black pepper, nutmeg and cloves. Hope that helps.
Agree (0 people agree)
Disagree (0 people disagree)
16 Jan 2009 03:38 AEST
Simon Shaw
Yokine
Great, needs a lot of cooking.
Great meal. Very filling though so be warned. I think I didn't cook it long enough though, overnight probably is best! Some beans were still a bit firm. Joe, I can paste recipe for Baharat if you like?
Agree (2 people agree)
Disagree (0 people disagree)
13 Dec 2008 12:49 AEST
Joe
Thornbury Vic
Ful Medames
It's mouth-wateringly delicious! But where's the recipe for the accompanying Egyptian Salad as shown in the Video? For that matter, where's the exact recipe for Egyptian-style Baharat Spice Mix that's such a feature of Egyptian cuisine?
Agree (6 people agree)
Disagree (2 people disagree)

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