Wise Old Fool

How old is this dish? Well, let’s put it this way, it used to be called “𓅮𓏏𓈖” and remnants of it have been found at neolithic burial sites in Egypt. Nowadays it’s called “فول مدمس”, which gets rendered a lot of different ways in the Latin alphabet, but “fūl mudammas” is one option. For short, it’s just called “fūl”, which is pronounced like the English word “fool”, and it’s about the beans.

From chana masala with poori to frijoles refritos to beans on toast, lots of cultures have some version of this breakfast food, and all can be great (yes, even the beans on toast). But today we’re about this particular kind of morning protein, fiber, fats, and healthful spices.

You will need

• 2x 14 oz cans fava beans (other kinds of beans work as substitute; kidney beans are common substitution, but this writer prefers black beans personally if she doesn’t have fava in), drained
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sweet cinnamon (or ½ sweet cinnamon stick)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp black pepper
• Juice of ½ lemon
• For the relish: 1 medium tomato, finely chopped; 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• To serve: 4 pitta breads, 2 eggs (omit if vegan), and a selection of pickled vegetables, drained

Method

(we suggest you read everything at least once before doing anything)

1) Add the olive oil to a saucepan over a medium heat; add the garlic, cumin seeds, and cinnamon. Keep these moving for a minute or two before moving to the next step.

2) Add the fava beans, as well as the other seasonings (chili flakes, paprika, black pepper), and mix thoroughly

3) Add 1 cup boiling water, and keep everything on a simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring often. Add the lemon juice while it’s simmering; when the beans start to break down and the mixture starts to thicken, it’s ready.

4) Mix the relish ingredients (finely chopped tomato, olive oil, parsley) thoroughly in a small bowl

5) Toast the pitta breads, and if using, soft-boil the eggs.

6) Serve! We suggest: fūl in a bowl, with one half of a soft-boiled egg per bowl, topped with the relish, and served with the pitta bread and pickled vegetables on the side.

Enjoy!

Want to learn more?

For those interested in some of the science of what we have going on today:

• Level-Up Your Fiber Intake! (Without Difficulty Or Discomfort)
• Making Friends With Your Gut (You Can Thank Us Later)
• Less Obvious Probiotic Benefits ← the pickled vegetables contain the probiotics here, while the beans are a great source of prebiotic fiber; this is why they work so well together
• Our Top 5 Spices: How Much Is Enough For Benefits?
• A Tale Of Two Cinnamons
• Eggs: All Things In Moderation?

Take care!