Vegetables & LegumesDifficulty: easy

Ful Medames (Egyptian Stewed Fava Beans)

Name: Ful Medames (Egyptian Stewed Fava Beans)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 400 g dried fava beans (split or whole); 4 garlic cloves, crushed; 80 ml olive oil; Juice of 2 lemons; 2 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp chili flakes or harissa; Parsley, chopped; Salt; To serve: pita, tomato, red onion, hard egg (optional)

The 4000-year-old breakfast of Cairo: slow-simmered fava beans with olive oil, lemon and cumin. Cheap, filling and one of the oldest healthy dishes on Earth.

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1Soak the beans overnight if whole (split beans don't need it).

2Simmer in fresh water 60-90 minutes until completely soft; drain, reserving a cup of the liquid.

3Mash the beans coarsely with some cooking water - keep texture, not a purée.

4Stir in the garlic, cumin, lemon juice and half the olive oil; warm gently.

5Plate; pool the remaining oil on top, scatter chili, parsley and salt.

6Serve with pita, tomato, onion and a hard egg if you like - breakfast of pharaohs.