Ful Medames – stewed fava bean

Ful medames and falafel go hand in hand

In Egypt, ful medames and falafel (or tamm’iya as they are called over there), is the most popular breakfast in the country without a doubt. It’s a great source of protein and very ecconomical. It’s the favourite food enjoyed by the masses. 

Every street has a ful and falafel stand

In fact just about every street has several Ful and Falafel shops and stands.  First thing in the morning they are overwhelmed with people queuing to get their tasty breakfast, ready to set them up for the day.

Aubergine, tahini and pickles

Served alongside the ful and falafel are spicy, fried aubergine and tomato as an accompaniment.  Delicious tahini is there to drizzle over.  And of course there are pickles on the side.

Great any time of day

Although it is primarily served for breakfast, it is also great for lunch or even as an evening meal.

Scoop your ful medames up with flat bread

Ful is usually scooped up with flat bread but it could be stuffed into pita bread along with its friend falafel, a bit of salad and a drizzle of tahini.  Any way you eat it is really tasty and also very filling.

Don’t know where to buy your Ful Beans?

In Egypt you would buy your Ful beans, freshly cooked from the stall in the street, in a little plastic bag.

In the UK you can buy cans of Ful beans from Arabic shops and even some supermarkets stock them now.

There are many ways to serve Ful Medames

There are several different methods of preparing Ful.  Each way only takes a couple of minutes to prepare.

Here I give you 2 alternatives.

Ful with tomato and onion or Ful with lemon and olive oil

Ful Medames with tomato and onion

Ingredients

• 1 can of ful medames – mashed with a fork
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 3 tomatoes finely chopped
• salt and pepper
• a little lemon juice
• a drizzle of olive oil

Here’s how to make it

Heat the pan

• Drizzle the oil into a frying pan and heat it over a medium flame on the hob.

Fry the onions

• Add the onions and fry them until they begin to take on a bit of colour and become translucent.

Add the tomatoes

• Add the tomatoes and cook for about another 5 minutes until the tomato begins to soften.

Add the Ful Medames

• Add the ful and mix well.

Season and add a dash of lemon

• Season with the salt, pepper and a dash of lemon juice before serving.

Don’t forget the drizzle of olive oil

• Serve in a wide shallow plate with a drizzle of olive oil.

Ful Medames with lemon, herbs and olive oil

Ingredients

• 1 can of ful medames – mashed with a fork
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Juice of half a lemon
• A handful of fresh coriander – chopped

• Wedges of lemon juice to garnish

Here’s how to make it

Warm the ful medames and add the lemon juice

• Empty the mashed beans into a pan and warm them through. Add the lemon juice and half the olive oil and mix well.

Season

• Season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle on the fresh coriander

• Sprinkle on the chopped coriander leaves and mix them through.

Serve in a wide shallow bowl – drizzle with olive oil

• Pour your Ful into a shallow, wide serving bowl and drizzle with the remaining olive oil before serving with lots of warm flat bread;.

I hope this helped

I hope you found these recipes useful. Enjoy your ful medames.

I hope you’ll visit again soon to discover more authentic Egyptian recipes.

Let me know which way you prefer your ful medames & as always send in your photos.