Ful Medames

Name: Ful Medames
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Egypt
Ingredients: 2 (15 oz) cans fava beans, undrained; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for serving; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp cumin; 1 tomato, diced; 1 small onion, finely diced; Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish; Hard-boiled eggs, for serving (optional)

4 servings10 min prep20 min cookEasy Egypt

♡ Sign in to save Print / Save as PDFPro

The Story Behind It

The Tale of Ful Medames

Story updated September 17, 2026

Ful medames, slow-simmered fava beans mashed with oil, lemon, and cumin, is one of the oldest documented dishes in the world, with roots tracing back to ancient Egypt, where fava beans were a Nile Valley staple for millennia. It remains Egypt's essential breakfast, eaten daily across the country regardless of class.

Ingredients

Scale:· 4 servings

2 (15 oz) cans fava beans, undrained
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for serving
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cumin
1 tomato, diced
1 small onion, finely diced
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Hard-boiled eggs, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1Simmer fava beans with their liquid in a saucepan over low heat for 10 minutes.
2Mash the beans partially with a fork or potato masher, leaving some texture.
3Stir in garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and cumin, and season with salt and pepper.
4Simmer 5 more minutes until warmed through and slightly thickened.
5Spoon into bowls and top with diced tomato, onion, and parsley.
6Drizzle with extra olive oil and serve with warm pita and hard-boiled eggs.

Want Cook Mode, your own recipe photos, and unlimited calculators?

Get Home Cooking Pro

Comments

Loading comments…