Ful Medames is a traditional Middle Eastern dish made from fava beans, usually eaten for breakfast with a piece of flatbread. It’s easy, delicious, and nourishing. My version, Sprouted Ful Medames, includes using sprouted fava beans to increase the nutrients and digestibility of the beans.
My family loves to eat this dish on weekend mornings. You can find people lined up in little shops all over Riyadh to buy “Ful and Tamees”.
Ful= cooked fava beans.
Tamees= huge pieces of flatbread.
They call it the “poor man’s breakfast” as you can feed 3-4 people on just 3 Saudi riyals (less than $1). They slow cook the Ful in these enormous metal pots…
And they serve the Ful with freshly cooked Tamees from huge igloo-shaped ovens…
The first time my daughter saw tamees, someone was carrying it high above her head so she could just see the underneath of the bread…and wondered why we were having pizza for breakfast!
I make my version of Ful with sprouted fava beans. Not only is Sprouted Ful Medames more delicious than store-bought, but sprouting the beans is an easy and fun task (especially for kids!) which makes the beans so much healthier for you.
Sprouted Ful Medames…why Should I sprout my beans?
- sprouting increases the protein, vitamins, and fiber in the beans.
- makes the beans easier to digest.
- helps our body to absorb minerals in the beans.
- provides anti-cancer benefits.
- lowers the calorie content.
- reduces allergens.
- makes the legumes more alkalizing.
- provides a fun science experiment for your kids!
Read more here about how to sprout your own legumes. To save time, I like to sprout large batches of beans and store in the freezer.
You can used canned fava beans for this recipe, but be aware that many brands use the chemical BPA in the lining of their cans. BPA is a dangerous chemical with a long list of frightening side effects (such as cancer, hyperactivity, infertility, and diabetes).
| Servings |
| 4people |
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|
- 1tablespoons butter
- 4cups cooked fava beanspreferably sprouted
- 1small onionchopped
- 3cloves garlicminced
- 2teaspoons cumin
- 1cup water
- salt and pepper, to taste
- juice from 2 lemons
- olive oil
- Optional toppings: diced tomato, onion slices, parsley or cilantro, paprika, hard boiled egg
- In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Sauté the onion till soft. Add garlic and cumin and sauté for 1 minute. Add the cooked fava beans, then add about 1 cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pan.
- Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer until the liquid has reduced a bit. Add the fresh lemon juice. Mash the mixture to desired consistency, using a spoon, potato masher or emersion blender.
- Pour the ful into a serving bowl or platter. Drizzle with lots of olive oil, and add any optional toppings (diced tomato, onion slices, parsley or cilantro, paprika, hard boiled egg).
- I like to serve ful with homemade sourdough (or soaked wheat) pita bread.
Assalamualaikum, alhamdulillah my first attempt of sprouting has succeeded and it was fava beans. Thank you SO MUCH Dr.Laura I am learning a lot from you, and happy to be a loyal follower. Can’t wait to turn them into ful medames!
عليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته
Yay I’m so happy to hear that Sabrin! Isn’t it just amazing when you see those sprouts come to life for the first time? Enjoy your ful medames!
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله
this is my first time sprouting but the smell while the bean sprouting wasn’t good. actually, the smell freak my mum out.
Do you know why or how can I avoid it?
You probably need to rinse the beans more often. You can also add a teaspoon of citric acid ملح الليمون to your water to prevent spoilage. And make sure the beans are in a container which allows them to drain well while sprouting. I hope that helps!