Читать книгу Feasts From the Middle East - Tony Kitous - Страница 15
ОглавлениеOriginally from Egypt and made from beans in a simple vegetable sauce, this used to be known as the poor man’s breakfast, but how times have changed. It’s now seen as one of the healthiest ways to start the day and, in fact, I eat it particularly when I’m on a strict diet, training for a marathon.
It has to be made with fava beans, known as broad beans here, which have been dried then rehydrated. The onion and tomato sauce comes with a kick of garlic and spice, then is simmered with the beans until it forms a stew. If you stir the mixture a lot, the beans cook down and become very soft. I like it both ways – when the beans stay whole and have more texture or when they are more stewed, especially when served with a fried egg on top. Then I’ll always add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil before tucking in.
FUL MEDAMES
SERVES 4–6
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
½ onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp cumin
2 large tomatoes, chopped, plus extra to garnish
½ tsp salt
400g tin ful medames (fava beans), drained
100–150ml water
small handful of coriander, chopped
1 spring onion, thinly sliced
bread, to serve
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and stir in the onion. Sauté over a low-to-medium heat for 8–10 minutes until it has softened and turned golden.
Stir in the garlic and cumin, and cook for 1–2 minutes until you can smell the aroma as they cook in the heat of the pan.
Add the tomatoes, salt and beans with the water, then stir everything again. Simmer for a further 10 minutes, over a low-to-medium heat, until everything has cooked down and thickened, and the mixture looks like a stew.
Stir in most of the coriander and cook for a minute or two more to allow the herb to cook into the sauce. Check the seasoning. Spoon into a bowl and scatter over the remaining coriander, some chopped fresh tomatoes, the spring onions and a drizzle of olive oil over the top. Serve with bread.
