Ful medames

Warm fava beans with cumin, lemon and olive oil.

Origin: Egypt
Egypt’s everyday breakfast, sold from street carts in the morning and eaten with warm bread.

Serves 210 minQuickLow costPlant-based

Step by step in LeafUp

Cooking mode in the app: one step at a time, with gentle timers.

Covers

Pulses Wholegrains Colourful vegetables Herbs & spices Good oils

Protein, fibre, iron, B vitamins, vitamins A and C

You need (serves 2)

A tin or jar of fava beans (ful), with their liquid (400 g) Cook from dried
One or two garlic cloves, crushed
The juice of half a lemon
Half a teaspoon of ground cumin (½ tsp)
A spoon of olive oil (1 tbsp)
A tomato, chopped, and some parsley
Two wholemeal pittas, or homemade flatbread Make your own

Make it your own: swap in the vegetables, beans or grains you have, and season it the way you like. With an allergy, check every swap.

When you buy anything ready-made, choose the one whose ingredient list is closest to just the food itself, with no added sugar or salt.

How to make it

Warm the beans with a few spoons of their liquid for 5 minutes, then roughly mash about half of them.
Stir in the garlic, lemon juice and cumin. Taste: if your beans have no added salt, add a small pinch of salt if needed.
Serve with the olive oil, tomato and parsley on top, and warm pitta on the side.

Good to know

If you have G6PD deficiency (favism), don’t eat fava beans: they can cause a serious reaction. Borlotti beans work instead.

Allergens This plate contains gluten (pitta). Always check product labels, as brands vary.

LeafUp gives general food guidance for adults. It is not medical or dietary advice. With a health condition, during pregnancy or with allergies, ask your doctor or a dietitian.

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