Foul Mudammas is often served at breakfast but not any breakfast. Growing up it was a dish reserved for weekend brunch with the whole family. Arab weekend breakfasts are often elaborate, and a time to mingle around the table for hours. The whole family will feast and nibble on all sorts of little dishes that are scattered all over a long table. Many of the dishes come from the pantry. Like olives, pickles, zaatar, jams and halaweh (halvah). And at least one egg dish is served. Boiled eggs, fried eggs in olive oil, eggs and potatoes or herbs etc. Many fresh cut veggies like crisp cucumbers, radishes and tomatoes and herbs are served next side to bowls of hummus and foul. The foul and hummus were hardly ever made on weekends, they were often bought from your favorite local joint. My mom would send my brothers to get them from the neighborhood tiny stall that served endless bowls of the most delicious creamy foul and hummus and on the way back my brothers would pick warm pitas or Jerusalem kaek from the local bakery fresh enough for this feast. The foul was often cooked in big brass urns, or clay pots and cooked slow for hours making this an anticipated weekend brunch dish. When you buy foul its often accompanied by a green sauce and shattah (chili paste). piping hot pots of mint tea accompany every breakfast table. Coffee is never served with food.
Although foul is enjoyed all over the Arab world but it has deep roots in Egypt. Foul is the Arabic word for fava beans. When you say foul mudammas then you are referring to the mashed dip that we are cooking below.
xxx,
Sahtain
*Traditional bowls used to serve hummus and foul in Palestine
Ingredients
One 14 Oz can Foul with its liquid (cooked fava beans)
Juice of one lemon (more if you want)
2 tbls Extra virgin olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1/4 tsp cumin
Salt to taste
(Option 1) Garnishes:
1 tomato, finely chopped
Jalapeño ribs and seeds removed and finely chopped
3 tbls fresh parsley minced
3 tbls fresh mint minced
(Option 2)Green sauce:
Traditional you would just mince fresh mint and fresh parsley and garnish the top. But I wanted to make a green paste to go on top instead (similar to a pesto).
Green sauce Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
Few sprigs of fresh mint finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 small jalapeño deseeded and finely chopped
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes to release all of the flavours into the oil before using.
You can also do all this in a food processor until it’s all incorporated. We are looking for a little texture so pulse until you get the consistency you like. Scraping the bowl in between.
For the foul:
Directions:
In a small pan, Dump the entire can of foul heat the foul including its liquid. Bring to a gentle boil
Lower the heat and simmer for 5 more minutes. We are just reheating the beans as they are already cooked.
With a fork or smash the beans to the consistency you like. Some like them chunky some like them smooth
Add the garlic, lemon juice, cumin and salt
Plate your foul in a shallow bowl and top it with the green sauce (if you are using) or the garnishes and the chopped tomatoes. This dish is often eaten with pita bread with a cup of mint tea.