Recipe - Ful Medames (Egyptian Brown Bean Stew)

1 pound Ful beans; soaked (available
in speciality Asian/Near
East stores; other
varieties of dried beans
can be substituted; but
the flavour will differ)
1 tablespoon Freshly ground cumin
6 Cloves crushed garlic
4 Hardboiled eggs; shelled
and coarsely chopped
1 Handful chopped cilantro
1 small Handful chopped fresh
mint
2 Quartered lemons
1 md Sweet onion (bermuda;
vidalia; spanish, red),
cut or sliced up
Good quality olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt

Says the _New Internationalist Food Book_ (by Troth Wells, published by
Second Story Press, Oxford, 1990) :

Ful is the Egyptian word for bean and Medames describes the variety used;
a brown, round broad bean. This is a popular meal with both rich and poor
in Eqypt, eaten in the fields, sold in bazaars and Ful cares, even served
in luxury hotels and restaurants. The eggs, onions, oil and lemon are
served separately for people to help themselves.

The following recipe is my adaptation of that given in the Food Book.

Heat oven to 300 F.

Put the soaked, drained beans into a baking dish with a cover and pour in
enough water to cover them by 2 inches. Add half the cumin, lots of black
pepper, and the garlic. Cook slowly in the over, covered, for 34 hours,
until the beans are very soft but not broken up, and the juice is thick.

Meanwhile, put the eggs, cilantro, mint, lemon, and onion into separate
dishes on the table.

When the beans are ready, salt them and add the rest of the cumin and 1/4
cup of olive oil. Serve in the baking dish at the table and invite people
to addtheir own eggs, mint, cilantro and lemon juice on top, and more olive
oil as needed to give a smooth consistency.

This is good served with warm pita bread and a tomato/onion/cucumber/
mint/olive salad with a light yogurt and garlic dressing. Some people like
to add a dash of hot sauce. Joanne Cook Halifax, Nova Scotia
jcook@fox.nstn.ca

JOANNE COOK JCOOK@FOX.NSTN.CA

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