Ful medames is a slow cooked dried fava beans recipe, a traditional Egyptian breakfast item that can also be enjoyed any time of the day. Learn how to cook dried beans and make the best ful medammes easily at home, from scratch and it takes literally 5 minutes active time.
Along with Koshari and Ta'ameya (falafel), ful is considered an Egyptian national dish. Scoop it with some pitas for a hearty breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is so versatile and can be dressed up in a variety of ways. Mash it for an unforgettable dip or eat it as is.
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❤️ Why You'll Love It
- An easy hearty ful medames recipe made from simple pantry ingredients.
- Old fashioned recipe that's stood the test of time.
- Ful Medames recipe just like grandma did hers.
- A recipe that has been enjoyed by people for generations.
- Ful makes a great vegan meal or a healthy breakfast.
Many people will tell you to peel the fava beans because the skin is never soft enough. Traditionally ful medammes dishes are enjoyed skin on, you are welcome to peel the beans but peeling is not for me not only for the authenticity of the recipe but time wise too.
📝 Ingredients
Note: This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📋 Ingredient Notes
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- Rice is used to thicken the finished ful medames and give it volume. You can use peeled split fava as well and some people go against that. I use a tiny amount of uncooked rice though.
- Dry lentils and tomatoes are usually added to give ful a desired vibrant color.
- Some people add garlic and onions or one of them without the other. I liked adding only garlic to give a savory touch.
- Baking powder is my secret ingredient here for a softer skin.
🥄 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Place beans, rice and lentils in a fine colander and wash.
- Place them in your slow cooker with tomato and garlic.
- Pour in boiling water making sure the water is about 1 inch above the beans level.
- Cover with foil then place the lid on. Set to cook on low for 4 hours.
- After three hours remove lid and foil then mix in the baking powder. Cover and cook for the remaining hour. Cook for more time if you feel the beans are not done to your liking.
- Remove the lid and turn off your slow cooker. Cool completely before placing in the fridge or freezing.
💡 Amira's Tips
- I have found that soaking the beans overnight as usually and traditionally done, makes it harder to get a soft skin. The beans cook quickly while the skin is still so hard. If you must, then soak it for just a couple of hours but not anymore.
- If you cannot find fava beans you can use pinto beans as it is the closest in taste and size.
- Baking powder is added to soften the outer shell of the beans, this is especially necessary for dry fava beans sold in the US market. You can add the baking powder at the beginning of cooking when using a slow cooker, but this is not the case when using an instant pot.
- Check out the recipe card below for instant Pot instructions and other cooking methods.
- I am used to use a generous drizzle of quality extra virgin olive oil for my plate but my husband introduced me to adding ghee it really gives a terrific flavor. More on that in the how to serve ful below.
💬 FAQs
Ful mudammas is sort of slow cooked dry fava beans. It is a real power legume in the Middle East especially Egypt. Ful is the main breakfast dish in Egypt along with falafel.
There are two sizes of fava beans in the market, small and big. you can use any but the small ones are more traditional and appealing.
Personally, I feel it is. It is a protein packed meal, add to it some tomato, garlic and olive oil and it is heavenly good. Experts recommend that you consume up to 3 cups of beans weekly.
Well, we have a lot on our breakfast table. Ful and falafel are the king and queen of breakfast. Halva fudge, egg casserole(s). date paste with eggs, Belila, lentil stew and much more.
🍽️ How To Serve Ful
Let me first start by saying there are a lot of recipes for ful some are vegan and others are not. You can almost dress a plate of cooked beans in endless ways. I am going to give you the most popular ways here and I hope you'll find one that will appeal to you:
- The most popular in Egypt is adding a mixture of flax oil and corn oil to the ful after it has been heated thoroughly on stove top. Do not heat the oil mixture on stove top. Spice it up with cumin, ground coriander, salt, cayenne pepper or chili peppers and vinegar or lime juice. Serve with some green onions, this is called ful bel zeet el haar.
- Pour a couple of tablespoons olive oil with ful, heat them up and add crushed garlic and diced tomatoes. Do not forget to add salt and cumin.
- Ful with ghee, in a saucepan melt ghee until hot then add in ful and mix everything well.
- Mix with tahini, olive oil, lime juice, and cumin.
- Add a can of chickpea, olive oil, chopped parsley, cumin and salt.
- Saute garlic and chopped red onion in oil then diced jalapeño. Add in diced sujuk/ hot dogs/sausages and cook. Add tomato sauce then ful. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place ful in an oven dish, season it with salt and pepper and mix in some oil. Crack a couple of eggs on top and bake until eggs are done.
- Mashing foul medames with a potato masher, add some hard-boiled eggs, tomato, and parsley so for you to make another hearty lunch. Do not forget to season and add oil as well.
- For a creamy fava beans, peel the beans and mash or process in a mini food processor.
🧺 Storage
This recipe makes a big batch of ful Medames. After cooking the ful, prepare a dish or two however you like then store completely cooled and unseasoned ful in air tight containers and freeze. It is best to divide the remaining amount in two cups portions. Can keep in freezer for up to 6 months.
📣 Related Recipes
- Halawa or Halva is a traditional breakfast item in Egypt. Make from tahini and a bunch of ingredients this sweet tahini fudge is to die for.
- Try this Palestinian bread called Taboon bread, so close to the traditional Egyptian baladi breakfast bread.
- Here is an authentic koshari recipe with all the tips and tricks to get the best koshari on the table.
- Popular Middle Eastern street food, falafel sandwich, is a must have when you visit Egypt. But you can certainly make them at home with a variety of toppings and condiments.
- Unleavened bread is easy to make and does not require any special ingredients or equipment. All you need is flour, water, olive oil and salt.
- Falafel is a breakfast/ lunch and sometimes dinner recipes in the Middle East. Here are some great authentic ideas for what to serve with falafel.
🥣 Equipment
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I love Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker. It has been with me for over 4 years now with no complaints at all.
Ful Medammes
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups dry fava beans 1 pound
- 1 ½ Tablespoons dry rice any kind, uncooked
- 2 Tablespoons dry red lentils uncooked
- 1 Roma tomato quartered
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½-2 liter boiled water
Instructions
- Place fave beans, rice and lentils in a fine mesh colander and wash under running water.
- Place them in your slow cooker.
- Add dice tomatoes and garlic.
- Pour boiled water, cover the pot with a piece of aluminum foil then place the lid on.
- Set the slow cooker to low for 4-5 hours.
- Check after two hours to make sure there is plenty of water and it is not drying out.
- When 3 hours passed take the lid and the aluminum foil off and stir in the baking powder, be aware that the baking powder will bubble and fizz.
- Put the lid on again and continue to cook for another hour or two until it is fully cooked and soft.
Notes
- Baking powder is added to soften the outer shell of the beans, this is especially necessary for dry fava beans sold in the US market. You can add the baking powder at the beginning of cooking when using a slow cooker, but this is not the case when using an instant pot.
- You can use either big or small fava beans but small is the traditional one to use.
- IP directions:
- Place the ingredients in your instant pot (washed fava beans, rice, lentils, tomatoes and garlic) and cover with water.
- Place the lid on, seal the valve and pressure cook on high for 30 minutes.
- Quick release the pressure, mix in baking powder then pressure cook again for another 30 minutes.
- Let it naturally release the pressure for 20 minutes then do a quick release.
- If you feel the beans are not cooked to your liking or the skin is still not soft enough, mix in another ½ teaspoon and some boiling water if needed then press sauté option for 10 more minutes.
Nutrition
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First published January 21, 2015 . Last updated December 27, 2022 for editorial improvements.
Rayna Hawley
Thanks for the instructions on making fun from dried beans. I was about to give up and just resign myself to cans. I always soaked them before, and as you said, the beans end ip as complete mush with hard chewy skins. I think this may be on tomorrow’s sahoor menu.
Osama AL Eisa
Thank you very much for useful information
Regards
Rebecca
I only cooked the mixture above for a total of 30 minutes in my InstantPot with NPR (above directions say to cook for an additional 30 min after adding baking powder), and it became complete mush. I did not add baking powder. The mixture looks nothing like the photo. It seems I could cook it for 15 minutes or less, and the beans would be more likely to retain their integrity.
Amira
Did you soak the beans before cooking them in the IP Rebecca?