Egyptian Ful Medames with Lemon
Lemony Ful Medames
Slow-cooked fava beans mashed with olive oil, lemon, garlic, and cumin for a hearty Egyptian breakfast or mezze dish.
Ful medames is one of Egypt's essential bean dishes: simple, filling, and built around the earthy flavor of fava beans. The beans cook until tender, then are lightly mashed so the bowl has both creamy spoonfuls and whole beans.
This version leans on lemon, garlic, cumin, and good olive oil, the classic seasonings that make ful bright instead of heavy. A small amount of reserved cooking liquid helps the mash stay loose enough for scooping with warm pita or baladi-style bread.
Dried small fava beans give the best texture when soaked overnight and simmered gently. Canned beans can make a quick meal, but slow cooking lets the skins soften and gives the cumin and garlic time to settle into the broth.
Serve ful medames warm with tomatoes, parsley, hard-boiled eggs, pickles, or sliced chile. It works as a breakfast bowl, a mezze plate, or a satisfying lunch with bread and crisp vegetables.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
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1
Place the soaked fava beans in a heavy pot and add the water. Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
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2
Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are very tender and some are beginning to split.
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3
Check the water level as the beans cook and add hot water as needed to keep them barely covered. The final pot should have tender beans with about 1 cup of thick cooking liquid.
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4
Stir in the garlic, cumin, and salt. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes so the garlic softens and the spices season the broth.
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5
Mash about half of the beans directly in the pot with a potato masher or the back of a spoon, leaving plenty of whole beans for texture.
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6
Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Taste and adjust with more salt or lemon if needed.
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7
Spoon the ful into shallow bowls and drizzle with the remaining olive oil.
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8
Top with diced tomato and parsley, then serve warm with pita or flatbread for scooping.
Ingredients
- Dried small fava beans, soaked overnight and drained:1 lb
- Water:8 cups
- Garlic cloves, minced:3
- Ground cumin:1 1/2 tsp
- Kosher salt:1 1/4 tsp
- Fresh lemon juice:3 tbsp
- Extra-virgin olive oil:1/4 cup
- Tomato, finely diced:1
- Fresh parsley, chopped:1/4 cup
- Warm pita or flatbread, for serving:4
Tips & Notes
- Small dried fava beans soften more evenly than large broad beans and give ful its traditional texture.
- If the beans look dry after mashing, loosen them with a splash of hot water before adding the lemon juice.
- For a common Egyptian-style breakfast plate, add hard-boiled eggs, pickled vegetables, and sliced cucumber on the side.
