Sudan's beloved fava bean breakfast — slow-simmered beans mashed with cumin, lemon, and garlic, drizzled with olive oil and served with flatbread.
Ful medames — slow-cooked fava (broad) beans dressed with lemon, cumin, garlic, and olive oil — is one of the oldest continuously eaten foods in the world, with evidence of consumption stretching back 4,000 years. It is the iconic breakfast of Sudan, Egypt, and much of the Arab world, eaten by everyone from school children to heads of state. In Sudan, ful is typically richer and spicier than the Egyptian version, often incorporating tomato, onion, and the local condiment shatta (chilli paste). The beans are simmered until falling-apart tender, then roughly mashed and dressed at the table. Eaten with fresh flatbread (kisra or khubz), boiled eggs, and sliced vegetables, it is a complete, sustaining meal that powers Sudanese mornings.
Serves 4
Put drained beans in a saucepan with 4 tablespoons of reserved bean liquid. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes until heated through and starting to break down.
Add garlic, cumin, coriander, and cayenne. Stir and cook 2 minutes.
Use a fork or potato masher to partially mash the beans — aim for a rough, chunky texture, not smooth. Remove from heat.
Leave about half the beans whole for a satisfying texture contrast.
Stir in lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Taste and adjust — the ful should be bright, garlicky, and generously seasoned.
Transfer to a wide serving bowl or individual plates. Top with diced tomato and fresh parsley. Drizzle with extra olive oil. Serve with warm flatbread, sliced cucumber, and hard-boiled eggs.
Canned fava beans make this almost instant — dried need overnight soaking and 2+ hours cooking.
Be generous with lemon — the brightness is essential to the dish.
Adding a tablespoon of tahini makes a richer, creamier version.
Add diced hard-boiled eggs stirred through the beans (Egyptian style).
Top with a drizzle of tahini sauce.
Add chilli paste (shatta) for the Sudanese street food version.
Keeps in the fridge for 3 days. The flavour improves overnight. Reheat gently with a little water.
Ful medames is believed to be one of the world's oldest continuously eaten dishes, with seeds found in Egyptian archaeological sites dating to 2600 BCE. It spread across the Arab world and has become the common breakfast of Egypt, Sudan, Lebanon, Ethiopia, and beyond. In Sudan, ful vendors (ful sellers) are fixtures of every market, making breakfast accessible to all.
They are the same thing — fava is the Italian name, broad is the English name. Canned fava beans labelled 'ful medames' are the most convenient form.
Butter beans have a similar creamy texture and work well as a substitute, though the flavour is slightly different. Chickpeas also work.
Per serving · 4 servings total
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