Spicy Ful Medames (Fava Beans) With Olive Oil and Chile Recipe

By
Max Falkowitz
Max Falkowitz is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Max Falkowitz
Max Falkowitz is a food and travel writer from Queens. From 2012 to 2015 he worked at Serious Eats, first as New York editor and later as features editor. He's also the co-author of the Dumpling Galaxy Cookbook with Helen You, and the author of the trivia game Taste Test: 200 Trivia Questions for Food Nerds.
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Updated Apr. 22, 2020
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Photograph: Max Falkowitz

Why It Works

  • Toasting cumin seeds, then mashing them with garlic and chile flakes in a mortar and pestle releases maximum flavor.
  • Replacing some of the bean broth with olive oil makes for an intense grassy and pungent base for an abundance of spices and garlic.

Ful medames, stewed fava beans, is a staple dish all over the Levant. Some versions are mild-mannered and comforting. This one, loaded with olive oil, lemon, garlic, cumin, and a kick of chile flakes, is anything but. Serve it as a bean stew or mash up the beans and use it as a high octane dip.

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Recipe Facts

4.7

(3)

Active: 10 mins
Total: 10 mins
Serves: 3 to 4 servings

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Ingredients

  • 4 cloves garlic

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds, freshly toasted

  • 2 teaspoons chile flakes

  • Kosher salt

  • 2 (15-ounce) cans fava beans

  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

  • 1 tablespoon tahini

  • 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice from 2 lemons, or more to taste

Directions

  1. Put garlic cloves, cumin seeds, chile flakes, and a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle and crush until seeds are cracked and garlic is in small, flimsy chunks. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, mince garlic very fine.

  2. Empty one can of fava beans (with liquid) into a medium saucepan; drain second can and add additional beans, garlic paste, olive oil, and tahini. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until liquid retains some brothiness but turns thick and sauce-like, about 5 minutes.

  3. Add lemon juice and salt to taste. If desired, mash one third of beans with a potato masher for a thicker stew, or mash all beans for a rich dip. Serve with additional olive oil at the table.

Special equipment

Mortar and pestle (recommended but not required; see step 1)

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
627 Calories
44g Fat
45g Carbs
17g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 627
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 44g 56%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 674mg 29%
Total Carbohydrate 45g 16%
Dietary Fiber 12g 43%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 17g
Vitamin C 7mg 35%
Calcium 97mg 7%
Iron 4mg 23%
Potassium 643mg 14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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