Egypt | Breakfast

Ful Medames

Name: Ful Medames
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Egypt, North Africa
Ingredients: 2 cups dried fava beans, soaked overnight; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 whole lemons, juiced; 2 tsp ground cumin; ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve; ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped; salt, to taste

Slow-cooked fava beans mashed with garlic, lemon, and cumin, drizzled with olive oil and served with warm pita. Egypt's beloved everyday breakfast.

Country

Egypt

Region

North Africa

Time

75 min

Serves

Level

easy

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01 / Get ready

Everything you need

Tap each ingredient as you gather it. Illustrations are visual guides; follow the ingredient names and quantities.

Servings 4

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

Jump to method My cookbook

Ingredients

For 4 servings

Breakfast

Beans

2 cups dried fava beans, soaked overnight

Seasoning

4 cloves garlic, minced 2 whole lemons, juiced 2 tsp ground cumin

Finish

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Pantry

salt, to taste

A few kitchen essentials

Suggested from the recipe method. Use equivalent equipment you have.

Lidded pot

Knife & board

Wooden spoon

02 / Let’s cook

One step at a time

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Egypt

4 steps 10 min prep 65 min cook (check method) 75 min total easy

Cook the beans

Drain the soaked fava beans, place in a large pot, and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour until the beans are very soft and creamy. Reserve some cooking liquid before draining.

Kitchen noteFor an authentic texture, some beans should be falling apart while others stay whole.

Cook beans 60:00

Mash and season

Partially mash the beans with a fork or potato masher, leaving some whole for texture. Add garlic, cumin, lemon juice, and salt. Stir well, adding cooking liquid as needed to reach your desired consistency.

Kitchen noteThe ful should be creamy but not a smooth puree — texture is key.

Warm through

Return the mashed beans to low heat and warm through for 5 minutes, stirring gently to let the garlic and cumin infuse.

Warm ful 05:00

Serve

Spoon into shallow bowls. Drizzle generously with olive oil, sprinkle with cumin and parsley, and serve with warm pita bread, pickled turnips, and sliced tomatoes.

Kitchen noteEvery diner should customise their bowl with extra lemon, cumin, or chilli to taste.

Every household has small variations. Start here, then adjust seasoning, heat, and serving sides to your kitchen.

Cooking notes, photos & serving ideas

Recipe context

More about this dish

Serving ideas, regional context, and cooking cues for when you want more detail.

When to cook it

Best for Daily breakfast. Plan on a easy cook. Allow about 75 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Warm pita bread, pickled turnips, and fresh vegetables

Follow the collection

Ful Medames appears in 2 AfroKitchen collections. Start with Vegetarian Africa if you want more dishes in the same mood. Vegetarian Africa

Regional lane

Egypt national table. A structured Egypt dish in the AfroKitchen archive.

Chef watch-outs

Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
Adding all seasoning early and forgetting to adjust at the end.
Cooking on heat that is too high once the dish should be steaming or simmering.

How you know it is ready

The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
The final texture should match the dish style before you plate it.

Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Take a closer look at the dish and its serving ideas.

Ful Medames recipe from Egypt — Ful Medames finished dish

Chef board

Build the table around Ful Medames

Warm pita bread, pickled turnips, and fresh vegetables

Best route from here

Egypt national table

Collections to keep cooking

Vegetarian African Classics Breakfast and Tea Table

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