🫘 Ful medames
Ful medames is slow-simmered fava beans, lightly mashed and dressed with garlic, lemon juice, cumin and a generous pour of olive oil, finished with chopped parsley. It is earthy, tangy and filling, with a soft, creamy texture. It is eaten warm, often for breakfast, served alongside fresh vegetables and pickles.
Diets
Allergens
None of the 14 major allergens in a typical recipe.
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cans (800 g) cooked fava beans, with their liquid
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small bunch parsley, chopped
- Salt to taste
Method
- Warm the beans with their liquid in a pan over medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Mash about half of them roughly with a fork or masher.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin, lemon juice and salt.
- Spoon into bowls, drizzle with the olive oil and top with parsley.
How to make it lighter
- Olive oil is the main extra: 1 tbsp ≈ 120 kcal, so drizzle 1 tsp per bowl instead of pouring.
- Add chopped tomatoes, cucumber and onion on top for more volume.
- Eat it with a spoon or with vegetables to scoop.
History
Fava beans have been cultivated in Egypt since ancient times, and ful medames is widely regarded as Egypt’s national dish. Traditionally the beans are cooked very slowly for many hours until soft. Today it is eaten across Egypt, Sudan and the Levant.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →