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

Ful Medames

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

What to know before you cook

Ful Medames is everyday Egyptian comfort. The beans should be creamy but not erased, bright with lemon, warm with cumin, and glossy with olive oil.

What the dish tastes like

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

When to cook it

Best for Daily breakfast, with a easy cooking level and 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 verified 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.

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.

For 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.

The 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.

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

Ful Medames

What to know before you cook

See the dish before you cook

Build the table around Ful Medames

Step-by-step method

Ful Medames

What to know before you cook

See the dish before you cook

Build the table around Ful Medames

Step-by-step method

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