Ful Medames Recipe (Egyptian fava beans)
Ful medames is a fava bean stew flavored with olive oil, lemon juice and spices. Usually served for breakfast, this Egyptian classic is so easy to make and is ready in less than 30 minutes. Follow along to learn how to make ful medames at home.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 104kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ red onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large tomato chopped
- 2 cans fava beans 15 ounces each
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 lemon juice of
Topping and serving
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tomato chopped
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 fresh jalapeno sliced
- Pita bread
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Saute the onion until translucent.
- Add in the minced garlic and cook for a minute. Add the chopped tomatoes as well.
- Drain and rinse the fava beans. Add them to the tomatoes followed by the paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Add ½ cup water, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Using the back of a wooden spoon, gently press and mash almost half of the fava beans to give the ful a creamy texture. Add in the lemon juice and stir.
- Transfer the ful medames to a serving bowl and top with olive oil, tomatoes, parsley and jalapeno. Serve with pita bread.
Video
Notes
- You can use dried fava beans for this recipe, however, it would take longer. For this recipe, use 1 cup dried fava beans and soak them in water for 2 hours. Then drain and place them in a pot and fill it with water until it covers the beans by 3 inches. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours or until the beans are fully cooked and tender. Drain and use them in the recipe as instructed above.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat in a pan or saucepan over medium heat for about 15 minutes. It's best to add a bit of water and olive oil while reheating since fava beans dry out when refrigerated.
- You can also freeze this dish for up to 4 months. To serve, thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat or place the frozen ful in a pot with some water over medium heat and stir occasionally until fully thawed and reheated.
Nutrition
Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 395mg | Potassium: 196mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 936IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg