Ful Medames

The method

1. 01

   Cook the drained beans in a large saucepan with unsalted water, covered, until tender, adding water to keep them covered.

2. 02

   Add salt when the beans have softened, and let them simmer gently for 2 to 2.5 hours.

3. 03

   Once the beans are soft, let the liquid reduce.

4. 04

   Take out a ladle or two of the beans, mash them with some cooking liquid, and stir this back into the beans to thicken the sauce.

5. 05

   Serve the beans in soup bowls, sprinkled with chopped parsley, and accompanied by Arab bread.

6. 06

   Pass around the dressing ingredients: extra-virgin olive oil, quartered lemons, salt, pepper, crushed garlic, chili-pepper flakes, and ground cumin.

7. 07

   Garnish with hard-boiled eggs, cucumber-and-tomato salad, and thinly sliced onions or scallions if desired.

8. 08

   Serve with tahina cream sauce, pickles, and sliced onions soaked in vinegar.

9. 09

   Optionally, serve with a garlicky tomato sauce.

10. 10

    In some regions, serve with yogurt or feta cheese, olives, and small cucumbers.

11. 11

    For variations, add a handful of red lentils at the start of cooking.

12. 12

    In Iraq, use large brown beans instead of small Egyptian ones.