Foul, pronounced “fuul”, is a popular breakfast in Lebanon and one of my favorites! This meal takes me back all the way to my visits to Lebanon in the summers as a kid, and Sunday morning breakfast with my parents. Ahhh. Also, just like many middle-eastern traditional recipes, it is absolutely bursting with garlic freshness.
Garlic was and still is a big staple part of the Lebanese diet, like in many other Mediterranean regions. Waking up to a garlicky and extremely fiber-filled meal (from the chickpeas and Fava beans) might seem a little strange, however it is usually served with a balancing share of olive oil, fresh mint and coriander, and vegetables of your choosing!
This not only balances out the garlic-filled richness of the Foul, but also provides a very diverse source of nutrients first thing in the morning! Now, lo and behold, the famous Foul Mudammas! Just be sure to brush right after the meal! Ha! >.<
This recipe serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 can Foul Mudammas/Fava beans, drained
- 1 can chickpeas WITH the water from can
- 1 teaspoon salt, or more as needed
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 4 large cloves garlic, crushed
- For sides: onion (any type); parsley, coriander and olive oil for topping; tomato; pickles (Lebanese-style pickles are an amazing side for this meal!), cucumber, or anything else of your choosing!
- Pita bread
Directions
- Add the Fava beans and chickpeas (with chickpea water!) in a small saucepan. Heat it at medium.
- When it reaches a boil, mix in the lemon juice, crushed garlic and salt. Stir in well.
- Once the Fava beans and chickpeas have softened, turn off the heat and empty contents into a serving bowl.
- I personally like mashing the Foul until semi-lumpy, but that is up to you!
- Serve into small bowels, and top with olive oil, coriander and parsley. I like mine with green onions and salted tomato slices! Eat with pita bread!
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So Where is Foul Mudammas Really From?
We can trace the origins of Foul Mudammas thousands of years back to Ancient Egypt. Foul was, much like in Lebanon and many other middle-eastern countries right now, a popular street food!
I mean, this comes as no surprise as in addition to all the health benefits we have from the chickpeas (which you can check out in detail in my hummus recipe, coming soon by the way!) we also have the nutritional Fava beans! For more information on the nutritional value of Fava beans, visit https://www.nutrition-and-you.com/fava-beans.html
Take a walk through Ancient Egypt and the old core Arabic cuisine, and where it originates from with Mark Wiens at https://migrationology.com/ful-medames-egypts-life-line-saving-beans-of-delight/
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