green.recipes

Ful Medames

Slow-simmered fava beans, roughly mashed with garlic, lemon and cumin, served warm with fresh tomato, parsley and good olive oil.

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Shallow bowl of ful medames with tomato, red onion, parsley, egg halves, tahini and chili flakes, with pita alongside, AI-generated imageAI-generated image
At a glance
  • 400 gdried small fava beans
  • 250 gripe tomatoes
  • 240 gpita or flatbread
  • 200 glarge eggs
  • 80 glemon juice
Serves 4

Ful medames is a warm dish of cooked fava beans seasoned with garlic, lemon juice, cumin and olive oil. It is eaten in Egypt and across the eastern Mediterranean and the Levant, most often at breakfast, though it works just as well for lunch or a light supper. It is usually scooped up with flatbread and served with a few simple toppings.

This version starts with dried fava beans soaked in the refrigerator for 12 to 16 hours, then simmered gently until the skins are completely soft and the insides turn creamy. Plan ahead: the soak is a hands-off wait, and with it the dish takes roughly 14.5 to 18.5 hours from start to table. The simmer itself takes 60 to 120 minutes, depending on the age of the beans. Mashing only part of the beans gives a thick, spoonable base that still has whole beans in it. The garlic is crushed with salt, lemon and cumin first, so it spreads evenly and tastes bright rather than harsh.

Finish with chopped tomato, red onion, parsley and a generous pour of olive oil. Hard-boiled eggs and a thin tahini drizzle are included here, and either can be left out. The beans are the main event, and the toppings are there to give contrast.

Ful Medames

Formula & Method
Servings
4
Units
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Ingredients

Beans

Seasoning

Toppings

To serve

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Preparation

  1. Step 015 min

    Pick over the dried fava beans and discard any stones or damaged beans. Rinse them, then put them in a large bowl with the soaking water so they are covered by at least 5 cm (2 in).

  2. Step 02

    Cover the bowl and refrigerate at 4 C (40 F) for 12 to 16 hours. Do not soak at room temperature. This is a waiting time, counted in the total time only. The beans will swell to roughly double their size.

  3. Step 033 min

    Drain the soaked beans in a colander and rinse well under cold running water. Tip them into a large heavy pot and add the fresh simmering water.

  4. Step 04120 min

    Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off any foam, then reduce to a gentle simmer, about 90 C (195 F). Partly cover and cook for 60 to 120 minutes, topping up with hot water if the beans are no longer covered. Older beans and hard water can take the full 120 minutes or a little longer. They are done when the skins are very soft and a bean crushes to a creamy paste between your fingers with no chalky center. Do not drain until they reach this point.

  5. Step 0515 min

    While the beans cook, put the eggs in a small saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, then cool in cold water, peel and halve or quarter them.

  6. Step 063 min

    Crush the garlic with the salt in a mortar, or on a board with the flat of a knife, until it forms a smooth paste. Stir in 60 g of the lemon juice, the cumin and the black pepper.

  7. Step 0710 min

    Drain the cooked beans, keeping about 200 g of the cooking liquid. Return the beans to the pot over low heat and add the garlic mixture and 45 g of the olive oil. Mash roughly with a masher or fork, leaving about two thirds of the beans whole. Loosen with the reserved liquid, a spoonful at a time, until thick but spoonable. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring, so the flavors blend. Taste and add salt or lemon if needed. If you are using canned beans, start here: put the drained, rinsed beans in a pot over low heat with the garlic mixture and oil, and use hot drinking water (about 150 g, added a spoonful at a time) in place of the cooking liquid. Heat for about 10 minutes, mashing partway through, until steaming hot and thick but spoonable.

  8. Step 083 min

    In a small bowl, whisk the tahini with the remaining 20 g lemon juice and the 30 g cold water until smooth and pourable. In another bowl, toss the tomatoes, red onion and parsley together.

  9. Step 093 min

    Spoon the warm beans into shallow bowls. Top with the tomato mixture and eggs, drizzle with the tahini and the remaining 15 g olive oil, and sprinkle with chili flakes. Serve right away with warm flatbread.

Kitchen notes

  • Timing: the total time includes the minimum 12 hour chilled soak. With a 16 hour soak and a slow-softening batch of beans, allow about 18.5 hours from start to table. The soak and most of the simmer are hands-off.
  • Storage: cool leftover beans and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking, in a covered container, for up to 4 days. Reheat until steaming hot, loosening with a splash of water, as the beans thicken as they sit. Keep the tomato topping and eggs separate.
  • Freezing: the mashed beans without the toppings can be frozen in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
  • Make ahead: simmer the beans a day ahead, refrigerate within 2 hours, and season and mash just before serving. The flavor settles nicely overnight.
  • Canned beans: boil the eggs first, since there is no long simmer to cook them alongside. Then follow step 6, the canned instructions in step 7, and the remaining steps.
  • Variations: add a pinch of ground coriander, swap the parsley for chopped mint or coriander leaves, or add finely chopped green chili to the topping. Leave out the eggs and use more tahini for a fully vegan bowl.
  • If the beans are still firm after 120 minutes, they may be old. Keep simmering and adding hot water, and check every 15 minutes until soft.

Diet and allergens

Suitable for: Vegetarian, Dairy-free, Nut-free.

Contains: sesame, egg, gluten (wheat).

Labels come from the ingredient list by fixed rules. If you cook for someone with an allergy, check the labels of packaged ingredients such as stock, spice blends, tahini and bread, since brands differ. How labels work.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use canned fava beans for ful medames?

Yes. Use about 880 g drained, rinsed canned fava beans and warm them in a pot for about 10 minutes with the garlic, lemon, cumin, oil and a little hot drinking water, then mash and serve. The texture is a little less creamy than beans simmered from dried.

How long does ful medames take from dried beans?

The beans need a 12 to 16 hour soak in the refrigerator, then 60 to 120 minutes of simmering, plus about 35 minutes of active preparation and finishing. Plan for roughly 14.5 to 18.5 hours in total, most of it hands-off.

Why soak the beans in the refrigerator?

Soaking at 4 C (40 F) keeps the beans cold and covered while they hydrate, so they cook evenly and stay safe to cook. Always drain and rinse before simmering.

How do I get the beans creamy?

Simmer them gently until they are completely soft, then mash about a third and stir in some of the cooking liquid and olive oil. Rapid boiling can split the skins and leave the centers uneven.

What do you serve with ful medames?

Warm flatbread is the classic partner. Pickles, olives, sliced cucumber, extra lemon wedges and hard-boiled eggs all go well alongside.

References and sources

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