Ful medames

Ful medames is best known as an Egyptian staple. It’s just as popular in Palestine, though, particularly during Ramadan where it’s often served for suhur, the pre-fast Ramadan meal. As with all pulses, the dish either sets you up for the day, if eaten in the morning, or provides comfort at the end of it, if eaten for a simple supper. Warm pita, as ever, is a must. Playing around: We’ve given the directions for some sumac onions, a simple sauce, and a soft-boiled egg but, really, you can go in all sorts of directions; fried eggs, a simple sprinkle of parsley, some chopped green onions, coarsely grated hard-boiled eggs—they all work well. Dried vs. canned fava beans: We choose to start with canned beans here because they are easier to find than dried and, also, they cook with much more consistency. Dried beans also require peeling, which takes the edge off the quick morning option (see “Pulses,” on this page). PULSES: dried vs. canned You can use either dried or canned pulses; the recipe will still work but the result will be different. Starting with dried pulses and soaking them overnight will bring about the “best” results (the creamier hummus, as you can use the cooking water when blitzing together the chickpeas), but using precooked chickpeas will always, of course, have the advantage of almost-instant readiness. When it comes to fava beans, though, we often prefer using already cooked canned beans rather than dried ones. For one thing, they are easier find, but the dried ones can also cook unevenly and require peeling

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Warm pita bread (see this page), to serve Pour 1 qt/1L of water into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the beans and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes, just to warm through and soften up. Drain, reserving about 3 tbsp of the water, and return the beans to the pan. Add the reserved cooking water to the beans, along with 2 tbsp of lemon juice, the garlic, chile, cumin, and ¾

Step 2

tsp of salt. Using a fork, crush the beans to form a rough mash. Set aside (or keep warm, if eating soon) until needed.

Step 3

Place the onion in a bowl with ¼ tsp of salt. Use your hands to rub the salt in a bit, then set aside for 10 minutes, for the onion to soften. Mix in the sumac and parsley and set aside until needed.

Step 4

Put the avocado and tomato in a bowl with the remaining 2 tbsp lemon juice and ¼ tsp of salt. Mix to combine and set this salsa aside.

Step 5

Heat up the fava bean mixture, if needed, then transfer it to a large serving platter. Smooth out the surface and make a little well in the center. Top with the salsa, followed by the onion mixture and drizzle on the oil. Serve as is, with a wedge of lemon to squeeze over, or with soft-boiled eggs on top, if desired, and some warm pita alongside.