Ful medames is a popular breakfast dish in Syria, especially Aleppo. The fava beans are left simmering in large copper jars throughout the night, to be served from the next morning on; the beans swim in tahini and olive oil, completed with a hint of red pepper paste (made from Aleppo pepper) over the top.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ful_medames
Once again, I’ve procrastinated on writing about this dish for several weeks after cooking it. Let’s see if I can remember anything I was going to say about it.
As we discussed last time, “ful medames” literally means something along the lines of “stewed fava beans”. While the Egyptian version is very tasty, and probably the best known variation around the world, this version from Syria is possibly my new all-time favorite blog recipe. At the very least, it’s a very unique dish, unlike anything else I’ve shared, and is quite flavorful. While my reaction wasn’t quite a dramatic as the gentleman in this video, I definitely made some very appreciative noises while eating it.
Like in Egypt, this version is often eaten for breakfast, but makes an equally delicious and filling meal any time of day.
Wikipedia isn’t kidding when they say the beans are swimming in tahini and olive oil. I guess, based on my research, it would be more accurate to say yogurt and olive oil, but there’s definitely enough tahini in there to be the dominant flavor, even if the yogurt is the primary ingredient in the sauce. The olive oil is drizzled over the dish as a garnish before serving. It is traditionally a very generous dizzle, covering the whole thing in a layer of oil, so do spend the money to get a really good bottle of flavorful EVOO.
Aside from fava beans, the only other somewhat unusual ingredient in this dish is Aleppo pepper. This is a moderately spicy kind of ground red pepper popular in Turkish, Syrian, and Armenian cuisine. Made from partially dried peppers, it has a fruity flavor, with some cumin undertones, and its flavor is often compared to sun-dried tomatoes. If you can’t get your hands on it, paprika is an acceptable, although milder, substitute.
Using canned beans, this dish comes together in a matter of minutes. Put the beans in a pot with some water and gently warm them while you mix the sauce, then stir them in. Probably the most time-consuming step in the whole dish is dicing some tomatoes for garnish.
Rather than just sprinkling the garnishes across the dish, most of the recipes I looked at made decorative patterns with small piles, even with the powdered spices. I attempted to do the same, but since I was trying to garnish a small bowl with one serving, rather than a large serving bowl, I ran out of space, and things got a little cluttered.
Aleppo Style Ful Medames
Serves: 3
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
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1 can fava beans
Water, to cover beans
2 cloves garlic
1 pinch salt
4 Tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup yogurt
4 Tablespoons tahini
⅔ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper
½ teaspoon salt
Flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
⅓ cup tomato, diced
Pomagranate seeds
Ground cumin
Aleppo pepper
Olive oil
Pita bread
Optional:
1 teaspoon red pepper paste
Scallions, on the side
Red radishes, on the side
Fresh mint, to garnish
½ teaspoon paprika, in place of Aleppo pepper
Drain the fava beans and rinse them. Place them in a small pan and add enough water to just cover. Set over medium heat to warm while you prepare the sauce.
Using a mortar and pestle or the back of a knife, mash the garlic with a pinch of salt until a paste forms. Stir the garlic paste into the lemon juice.
Put the yogurt into a serving bowl and stir until smooth. Add the tahini and mix well, then stir in the lemon juice-garlic mixture. Add ⅔ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt and mix well.
Add some of the water from the pot of beans, a little at a time, until the sauce has the consistency of heavy cream. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beans into the sauce, saving a few beans for garnish. Mix well and taste for seasoning.
Garnish with the reserved beans, flat leaf parsley, tomato, and pomegranate seeds, arranged in small piles. Sprinkle on some more ground cumin and Aleppo pepper, and drizzle very generously with olive oil. Serve with plenty of warm pita for scooping.
Lorin cooks Legumes 
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