Egyptian Foul Medames/Moudammas

Considered the national dish of Egypt, foul medemas/moudammas is a popular staple in parts of Africa, Israel, Syria, and Malaysia. This inexpensive local bean, the fava bean, is frequently cooked and seasoned with garlic, cumin, salt, olive oil, and lemon juice. 

Dry fava beans

Surprisingly to Americans, foul is eaten for breakfast in most of those countries. 

I spend my winters in South Florida in an area that is a melting pot of cultures. In addition to large communities of people from Russia, Venezuela, Brazil, Morocco, and Turkey, there are many Israelis of Sephardic descent (meaning their families originally come from a Middle Eastern or African countries such as Morocco, Syria, Egypt, etc.). 

This morning I was invited to a brunch that featured foul Medames/moudammas as the main course at the home of an Israeli friend. They also served  baba ganooj, quinoa tabouleh, hummus, salads, beets, falafel etc. with the foul- a vegan's delight!

My late mother-in-law, from Egypt, always made her homemade falafel from fava beans! In the US we are more accustomed to falafel that is made from chick peas.

Foul, or better known as fava beans, can be purchased as dried beans or in the cans. You may need to visit a Middle Eastern grocer to find them. The produce store near the bridge in Morrisville, Pa. actually sells them.

If you are lucky enough to have a Middle Eastern grocery store near by, you can purchase the cans and follow this traditional easy recipe. 

Using canned beans is of course a much faster method than using dried beans that require soaking. This could probably be made in the Instant Pot -but I have not tried that method yet!

My husband's family eats foul with pita bread. A gluten-free wrap would work! Actually, I like mine without bread. It's just a bowl of tasty beans.

Ingredients: 

2 cans of cooked fava beans with the liquid from the can

1 tablespoon of ground cumin seed

3 cloves of pressed fresh garlic or garlic powder (1/2 teaspoon) 

Salt and cracked pepper

Toppings: sliced green onion, chopped tomato, lemon juice and chopped cilantro

Directions: 

Pour the fava beans and liquid into a sauce pan. Add the garlic and the cumin and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 2 hours, covering the pot the last 1/2 hour. When the beans are soft, add salt and cracked black pepper to taste. (Add a tablespoon of olive oil if desire- I do not) . Pour into a serving bowl and eat with green onion, chopped tomato, lemon juice and chopped cilantro if desired. (Some people eat it with chopped hard boiled eggs as well but being vegan, we do not.)

My Notes: 

1. It is difficult to know the exact spelling of a word that is translated from another language. It goes by many different spellings. 

2. My husband said that cooked foul was a popular street food in Egypt when he was young (1950's) and that it was very inexpensive and eaten by the poor people. Actually, foul is full of iron, protein and fiber making it a very healthy food!