Make two flavorful, easy dips at one go, with fresh or canned fava beans and chickpeas. We’re fond of eating beans over here at Green Prophet, and supply you recipes like this little-known lupini bean recipe every so often. These dips are easy appetizers for a party or a meal with guests, or as a snack with pita chips. These are considered salads in the Middle East, but “dip” expresses the soft texture of these dishes better.
Ful Medames Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups small brown fava beans: either 2 cans, heated with their water, or 2 cups prepared cooked favas – instructions below
2 cups chickpeas, either 2 cans, heated with their water, or 2 cups prepared cooked chickpeas. Reserve 1 cup for making the masabaha recipe below.
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed with a little salt
1 medium tomato, chopped fine – reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish
1/2 medium red onion or 1 shallot
2 tablespoons roasted red pepper (grilled or from a jar) or 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh red chili pepper – reserve one tablespoon for garnish
1 handful cilantro or parsley – reserve a few good pinches for garnish
Juice of 1/2 lemon
About 1/4 cup olive oil
Directions:
Drain and pour the hot ful into a bowl. Strain 1 cup of hot chickpeas with a slotted spoon into the ful bowl but don’t dump the chickpea water; you’ll need it later.
Crush the ful and chickpeas together with a potato masher.
Add the crushed garlic, chopped tomatoes, onion or shallot, chili or roasted red pepper; mix well. Continue crushing everything together coarsely.
Chop the cilantro or parsley finely; add to bowl and mix well.
Stir in the lemon juice.
Taste for salt and adjust.
Pour a generous amount of olive oil around the ful mixture.
Garnish with reserved chopped tomato, chili or red pepper, and cilantro.
Make Musabaha
Musabaha is a rough humus made with whole chickpeas instead of blending them. Slather it on bread and garnish it with whatever takes your fancy.
Ingredients :
Remaining cup of hot chickpeas from the ful mesdames recipe above – reserve a handful for garnish
2 tablespoons raw tahini paste
1/4 – 1/2 cup chickpea cooking water
1 clove garlic, crushed with a little salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Sprinkles of cumin and paprika
Olive oil
2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
4 or 5 slices of chili or fresh red bell pepper, cut vertically to make a garnish
Directions:
Pour the hot, whole, remaining chickpeas into a serving bowl
In a small separate bowl, mix the tahini with 1/4 cup of the chickpea water. Add water as you go to make a dip that’s loose enough for your liking. Mix thoroughly, until white.
Add the crushed garlic clove and lemon juice to the tahini; mix.
Spoon the tahini into the chickpeas. Crush together lightly.
Taste for salt and adjust.
Garnish with reserved whole chickpeas.
Pour olive oil around the bowl.
Sprinkle cumin and paprika around the bowl.
Pile up a little chopped cilantro in the center.
Place 4 or 5 slices of chili or fresh raw bell pepper around the bowl.
How to eat these dips with pita or other flatbread: tear a piece of bread off, fold it to make a little cup, and spoon some dip into it. Eat as is, from your hand.
Suggested dishes to accompany: hard boiled eggs, baby radishes, all sorts of pickles, cucumber sticks.
This makes a light meal. Serve fish, chicken, or kebabs with these salads for a heartier meal.
* To prepare ful and chickpeas from raw:
Rinse 1 cup of each. In separate bowls, cover generously with cold water and allow to soak overnight.
Rinse each again and cook in separate pans, in plenty of water. It will take 1-1/2 hours to cook them until tender.
Do not drain the cooked chickpeas; you will need some of the cooking water for the musabha.
More excellent bean-based recipes from Green Prophet, and some history about well-loved Middle Eastern ful beans. The recipe below includes canned ful, tomatoes, peppers, and cumin.
Ful from Sudan, made in Sinai
Ultimate Traditional Ful And Humus Recipe
Time To Settle The Debate: Oldest Ful and Humus Beans in Israel
Author: Miriam Kresh
Miriam Kresh is an American ex-pat living in Israel. Her love of Middle Eastern food evolved from close friendships with enthusiastic Moroccan, Tunisian and Turkish home cooks. She owns too many cookbooks and is always planning the next meal. Miriam can be reached at miriam (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
