Egyptian Fava Beans with Tahini Dressing & Pita Bread

Recipe Difficulty: Easy

Recipe Tags: 

• Egyptian Fava Bean Stew
• Ful Medames
• Vegan Recipes
• Tahini Dressing

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My Fava Bean Stew Recipe Notes
I dated an Egyptian guy for a total of 5 minutes back in 2020, and while that didn't last long, this dish he made me was a keeper! It is a staple breakfast dish in Egypt, and in Arabic it is called "ful medames" A stew of mashed fava beans, tomato, onion, garlic & cumin. There are variations to the recipe, but this is how it was prepared for me, and what I recreated at home. A simple tahini sauce gets drizzled over the fava bean stew before serving. (I like lots) Add a sprinkle of parsley to garnish, and plenty of warm pita bread along side for scooping. I love simple food and this delicious stew is something I can whip up even when I don't feel like cooking. To serve beside, I made a simple chopped Egyptian salad with tomato, cucumber, red onion, carrot & fresh herbs called "Salata Baladi". I will share below roughly what I put in it. Not an exact recipe, but you don't really need one. It's the easiest thing ever. 

Ful Medames History & Customs
Ful medames is a versatile dish that can be served in many different ways, depending on local customs and personal preference. Some people like to eat it as a simple and hearty breakfast, while others prefer to dress it up with additional ingredients like tomatoes, onions, and parsley. 

The history of ful medames dates back thousands of years, and it is believed to have originated in ancient Egypt, where it was a popular food for the Pharaohs and their armies. Over time, ful medames spread throughout the Middle East and became a staple food for the people of the region, where it remains a popular dish to this day.

Fava Beans Nutrition
Fava beans (also known as broad beans) are a type of legume that are a good source of various nutrients, including:

• Protein: Fava beans are high in protein, with approximately 7.5 grams of protein per 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of cooked beans.
  
• Fiber: Fava beans are also a good source of fiber, with approximately 5.5 grams of fiber per 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of cooked beans.
  
• Vitamins and minerals: Fava beans are a good source of various vitamins and minerals, including folate, iron, and potassium.
  
• Fat and carbohydrates: Fava beans are relatively low in fat, with only about 0.3 grams of fat per 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of cooked beans. They are also a good source of carbohydrates, with approximately 20 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of cooked beans.
  

Recipe: Fava Beans with Tahini & Pita Bread

Ful Medames

Serves: 3 - 4 servings

Fava Beans

Ingredients:

•  extra virgin olive oil for cooking and drizzling
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
  
•  6 cloves garlic, chopped
•  1.5 tsp cumin
•  2 cans fava beans (keep liquid) + splash of water
•  1 tomato, small dice
•  1 tbsp tomato paste
•  couple glugs of olive oil
•  squeeze or 2 of lemon
•  salt to taste (a few good pinches)
•  cracked black pepper to taste

​Method

1. Cook onion & garlic in a bit of olive oil over medium heat until softened in a pan or pot. Season with s & p.
2. Add another drizzle of olive oil, & stir in cumin and tomato paste, cook for another minute or so. 
3. Add diced tomato, and 2 cans of fava beans WITH their liquid, and a splash of water
4. Bring to a simmer and add another glug of olive oil, salt, pepper & lemon. 
5. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes, or until desired consistency. I've had it when it's a bit on the thinner side and when it's reduced and thickened. It's good both ways. Either way use a masher and mash about half of the fava beans right in the pan or pot.
6. Taste, adjust seasonings.
   
7. Spoon into bowls, top with lots of tahini sauce, chopped parsley & a side pita bread and Salta Baladi. (recipe below)

Tahini Sauce
Sometimes I have leftover tahini sauce from my falafel or chickpea shawarma pita dish. In which case I will use that. If you want to take all of the guess work out of it, just use that recipe. Alternatively I just add to a bowl the following ingredients....

•  Tahini
•  Olive Oil
•  Water
•  Garlic
•  Lemon
•  Salt & Pepper

1. I never measure the sauce. I just spoon maybe 1/2 cup of tahini into a bowl, whisk in a drizzle of olive oil and then whisk in just a little bit of water to thin it out. You could keep the tahini thick if that's your thing. 
2.  Add in a clove or 2 of minced garlic, a squeeze or 2 of lemon, pinch of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as you wish. 
3. Spoon onto the warm fava bean stew. If your tahini sauce isn't bright and lemony, serve lemon wedges along side for squeezing over top of everything. The right amount of acidity will make the flavours stand out in the best way. 

   

Recipe: Salata Baladi

When I was doing a bit of quick research for this salad, I noticed some recipes approach it differently. The most complicated one was grating tomatoes along with the chopped tomatoes, adding cubbed ice to get it super cold. I forget what else but all of that made my brain hurt. I understand the concept of the grated tomato, as the goal was to create more juice in this salad. As I learned the liquid at the bottom of the salad is actually a coveted component called the "whiskey". (not THAT kind of whiskey). It's served at Kebab restaurants in Egypt, and the idea is you eat the salad, and drink the delicious marinade. (the whiskey). So, with that being said, from experience I know without adding extra grated tomato, a chopped salad like this will release lots of juices by itself. I saw some recipes that were the same as I am sharing, so I can't speak to what is most authentic. What I can say is, it's a really delicious simple accompaniment to the fava bean stew, and obviously would be great along other Middle Eastern spiced foods. 

Also it should be noted the ingredients listed below aren't the only ones I saw in other recipes. Some use different peppers like jalapeno or chili peppers for heat, some add bell peppers along with cucumber & tomato and not all of recipes included carrot.

Serves 4
​
Ingredients:

• 2 tomatoes, small dice
• 1 whole cucumber, small dice
• 1/2 red onion, minced
• 1 small carrot or 1/2 a carrot, julienned
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• a handful of fresh herbs (cilantro and parsley)
• extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
• the juice from about 1/2 a lemon
• a pinch or 2 of cumin
• a pinch of cayenne pepper
• s & p to taste

Method:

1. Add tomato, cucumber, red onion, carrot, garlic & fresh herbs to a bowl.
2. Season with s & p, toss
3. Add a pinch of cumin and cayenne (probably a bit more cumin than cayenne), toss.
4. Drizzle in some olive oil until everything is coated. Just give it a taste, you should taste the olive oil and it will be obvious if the veggies are well coated.
5. Now squeeze in some lemon juice to taste. 
6. Season with additional salt and pepper and more cumin and cayenne if you think it needs it. 
7. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

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