Ful Medames

Name: Ful Medames
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 400g canned fava beans (14oz); ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling (60ml); ½ teaspoon ground cumin; ½ cup water (125ml); 2 teaspoons tahini (10ml); Salt flakes, to taste; 1 tablespoon lemon juice (20ml); Pinch Aleppo pepper flakes; Chopped parsley, for serving; Lemon wedges, for serving

Ful medames is a creamy Middle Eastern fava bean dip. Served with some fresh warm flatbread, yoghurt, mint, cucumber and olives it’s one of my favourite breakfast dishes, and it’s a great addition to a mezze table too. It’s popular throughout the Middle East – I first had it in Dubai – though it seems to have originated in Egypt where it’s virtually a national dish. Regional variations abound – in Lebanon, Syria and Israel tahini is usually added, while in Egypt it generally isn’t. Ful medames is often topped with boiled eggs (or hamin eggs), chopped tomato, cucumber and green onion, or any combination of these vegetables.

Makes about 1¼ cups

Ingredients

400g canned fava beans (14oz)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling (60ml)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ cup water (125ml)
2 teaspoons tahini (10ml)
Salt flakes, to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice (20ml)
Pinch Aleppo pepper flakes
Chopped parsley, for serving
Lemon wedges, for serving

Method

Drain the beans, rinse and dry them well.
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add cumin and fry for 30 seconds or so until fragrant.
Add beans, water, tahini and a good pinch of salt.
Increase heat, bring to the boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, crushing occasionally with a potato masher or wooden spoon, until it forms a thick, coarse, creamy paste, adding a little more water if necessary.
Remove from heat, stir through lemon juice, Aleppo pepper flakes and more salt if needed.
Transfer ful medames to a bowl, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon on the side.