Ful Medames

Soak the Dried fava beans overnight in plenty of cold water (or use a quick-soak: cover with water, bring to a boil 2–3 minutes, remove from heat and let sit 1 hour). Drain and rinse before cooking.

Place the soaked beans in a large pot, cover with fresh water by several inches, bring to a simmer, then cook gently until very tender and falling apart—1 to 2 hours on the stove (or 20–30 minutes in a pressure cooker). Skim foam as needed and add more water if the beans get too dry.

While the beans cook, gently simmer peeled and crushed Garlic in a few tablespoons of Extra-virgin olive oil with Ground cumin for 1 minute to bloom the spices, then remove from heat and set aside.

When the beans are tender, drain them, reserving a cup of the cooking liquid. Return the beans to the pot, add some of the reserved liquid and mash roughly with a potato masher or fork so you have a mix of creamy and whole beans.

Stir in the garlic-cumin oil, the juice of Lemons, and season with Salt and freshly ground Black pepper to taste. Warm gently for 5–10 minutes to let the flavors meld, adjusting lemon, salt, and pepper as needed.

Prepare the garnishes: dice the Tomato, finely slice the Red onion, chop the Parsley, and thinly slice the Green chili. Toss these together with a drizzle of Extra-virgin olive oil and a squeeze of Lemons if you like a fresher salad.

If serving with eggs, place the Eggs in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil, then simmer 9–11 minutes for hard-boiled yolks. Cool under cold running water, peel, and halve or quarter.

Warm the Pita bread in a dry skillet or oven for a few minutes until pliable and lightly toasted.

To serve, spoon the ful into bowls, create a small well and drizzle more Extra-virgin olive oil over the top, add a pinch of Ground cumin if desired, scatter the tomato-onion-parsley mixture and sliced Eggs on top, and finish with an extra grind of Black pepper.

Serve immediately with warm Pita bread for scooping—adjust garnishes and lemon to taste for a brighter or more savory finish.