Ful Medames

Recipes, , ,

Thanks to CSA member Kathryn Vilela for sharing this traditional Palestinian/Arabic breakfast dish of ful. She got her recipe from a video by chef Nadia Irshaid Gilbert on her channel Sahtain!. You can find the recipe and an interview with Nadia here. Kathryn says that this dish is always a hit at potlucks!

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Ful Medames

Ingredients

  • 10-12 cherry tomatoes
  • 3 cloves garlic roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp ground cumin seeds preferably freshly ground
  • 1 15 oz can fava beans drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Ground black pepper to taste
  • Extra-virgin olive oil as needed
  • 1 small vine-ripened tomato chopped and divided
  • 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley chopped, for garnish
  • 1 green onion chopped, for garnish
  • Chili paste optional

Instructions

  1. Prehead oven to 400F. On a baking sheet lined with foil, season cherry tomatoes with salt and drizzle with 1 tbsp oil until thoroughly coated. Roast tomatoes for 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.

  2. To a mortar and pestle, add chopped garlic, small pinch of salt and 1 tsp oil. Crush into a thick paste.

  3. On a wide pan over low heat, add 1 tbsp oil. Add most of the garlic paste to the pan and lightly cook. Add cumin and cook with garlic, until fragrant.

  4. Add fava beans to pan and add boiling water to soften, cook for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste. If using, add 1/2 tsp chile paste. Mix well, then turn off heat.

  5. Use potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon or spatula to roughly crush fava beans to favoured consistency. (Nadia prefers their finely mashed into a smooth, hummus-like consistency but make it your desired consistency).

  6. To fava bean mixture in pan, stir in most of the roasted cherry tomatoes (leave 2-3 for garnish) and 3/4 of the chopped tomato (leave 1/4 for garnish) and mix well. Add lemon juice and 1/4 cup olive oil and mix well.

  7. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with remaining roasted tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, parsley, green onions and remaining garlic paste. If using, you can garnish with 1/2 tsp chili paste. Drizzle with oil to taste. Serve with warm pita bread or raw onions soaking in olive oil.