E for Egypt (Foul)

Foul (also: Ful, Foul Medammas, Foul Medammes) is a simple dish with beans (Broad Beans or Favabeans), which is served for breakfast in Egypt and other Arab countries. However, before I go to the recipe for Foul, a few general information about Egyptian cuisine and breakfast in Egypt.

The Egyptian cuisine

Maybe you feel like me. I was in Egypt a few years ago and it was really difficult to find the “real” Egyptian cuisine. (Unfortunately) hotels and many restaurants adapt their food very much to the European taste. You have to search the local cuisine, e.g. visit markets and look for restaurants where usually only locals dine, in order to learn more about the food of Egypt.

Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as “the” Egyptian cuisine. Since Egypt belonged to the Ottoman Empire between 1517 and 1798, you will find mainly turkish, complemented by culinary elements from Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Greece.

Without any doubt Bread or flatbread respectively is the staple food in Egypt. It is served with all meals. Similar to Afghanistan flatbread consists of a wheat-yeast-dough. Often bread is used to "hold" the food - instead of cutlery.

People eat lots of legumes and Vegetables.

I am pretty sure you also know Falafel. In Egypt they are called Ta’amia:

However, Egyptian falafel are not made from chickpeas - as in many other countries - but from beans.

Soups are also very popular in Egyptian cuisine. Probably the best known is lentil soup, made from peeled yellow lentils:

For seasoning people use exotic Spices, such as cumin, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, turmeric and black cumin. They give the food its special variety.

Most meals end with a dessert. Very popular desserts are: Milk pudding (Mahallabīya), ricepudding ((A)ruzz bi-laban) and caramel creamKrīm karāmīl). Also very common is Babousa, a cake made with semolina sweetened with orange blossom water or rose water syrup.

Breakfast in Egypt

A European breakfast with bread, butter, sausage, cheese and / or jam is not known in Egyptian cuisine. Breakfast in Egypt mostly consists of:

• Foul (cooked beans): You find more infos as well as the recipe below,
• Ta’amia (Falafel),
• mixed salad,
• sheep cheese,
• eggs (boiled, scrambled, fried) as well as
• Flatbread.

Both, Foulas well as egg dishes are often "pepped up" with vegetables, cheese, Bastirma or Suǧuq. Bastirma is beef marinated in a garlic-spice mixture, dried and cut into thin slices. It is similar to pastrami. Suǧuq is a seasoned sausage made from beef.

Finally, an Insider tip all who have a sweet tooth like me. Flatbread with a blob Tahin (Sesame paste) and Black Honey. Black Honey is molasses, which can be compared to our sugar beet syrup. However, Black Honey is not made from sugar beet, but from sugar cane. According to my friend Iman, who comes from Egypt, Black Honey is very healthy. In combination with tahini, the immune system is said to be strengthened. Black Honey is also ideal for sweetening yoghurt, curd cheese, muesli, etc.

You can buy Black Honey in Egyptian or Arab grocery stores. In Frankfurt a.M. I recommend: Al Ahram. The shop is hidden in a residential area. Without the recommendation of my Egyptian friend Iman, I would never have discovered it. Al Ahram is a small oasis for lovers of Egyptian cuisine with very, very friendly owners!

Foul

But now finally we will come to Foul, the classic breakfast and “national dish” of Egypt. Actually, Foul is not more than boiled beans (fava beans or broad beans) being seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper or cumin.

Foul can be eaten hot or cold. Sometimes the beans are mashed to a pulp and sometimes they are just cooked soft. There are many varieties of Foul, e.g. with

• oil especially olive oil,
• Tahin,
• tomato sauce
• sausage (Suǧuq),
• Bastirma,
• fried egg ...

Fava beans are easily available in turkish or arabic grocery stores

I personally like Foul especially with freshly baked Flatbread. You find a yummi recipe for flatbread in my blog as well, here.

If you don't like Foul for breakfast as it is quite rich, you can have it for any other meal.

Well, I hope you are really in the mood for preparing Foul from Egypt now. And here is the recipe:

Foul

4.67 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Egypt, Orient

Servings 2 Persons

Ingredients

  

• 1 can Fava beans (Foul Medammas) 475 g (drained weight: 310 g)
• 1 shallot finely diced
• 1 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes finely diced
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. paprika powder
• 1/2 cumin (grounded)
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil extra nativ
• little fresh parsley chopped
• 1 egg hard boiled
• Tahin (sesame paste) optional

Instructions

 

• For foul from Egypt, drain beans. Depending on how creamy you like it, you can also (partially) puree the beans or press them into small pieces with the potato masher.
• Sautee onions and garlic lightly in little hot oil. Add cumin, paprika and chilli powder and roast until it smells nice. Add drained beans and heat briefly. Add tomatoes and mix well. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
• Peel the egg, cut it in half and place it on top f the foul. Garnish the dish with a little parsley, olive oil and / or tahini.

Notes

Foul goes well with Flatbread.

Keyword Bohnen, Breakfast, Breakfast World, Breakfastworld, Fava, Fladenbrot, Foul, Frühstück, Frühstücksrezepte aus aller Welt, Ful, Fuul, Medammas, Saubohnen, weltweite Frühstücksrezepte

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Sources: Egyptian cuisine, Foul