Levant, Egypt – Ful Medames With Challah

by Adelina Aida

Ful medames is the Levantine salad made up of fava beans and raw vegetables. It is served with challah, a Levantine bread that is especially eaten on the Shabbat holidays of Jews. This is a very unique combination to serve salad with some sort of bread. Ful medames has boiled fava beans, onions, cucumber, olives and some seasoning, dressing, hard-boiled eggs, olive oil as the dressing of the salad. This is healthy, full of protein platter, served with baked grained bread. That is full of carbohydrates and gives you full nutrients. Ful medames is eaten in Arabic countries, Asia, Middle Eastern, and North African. It is also known as the Egyptian ancient salad.

Now there are hundreds of salad dressings are formed and these types of new dressings can be introduced to this salad for more exotic flavors. Dressing like Tahini sauce, Bechamel sauce, tomatoes sauce can be added to this simple salad and make it the new version of Ful Medames. Beans other than fava beans are also be added like red kidney beans, beans sprouts, country beans. This is also be added in the crushed form and mixed up with the vegetables.

This is eaten in the morning as a healthy breakfast with boiled eggs and challah bread. Challah bread is very special and occasional bread of Jewish holidays, Other bread is also be served with this salad. Challah is made of eggs, flour, yeast, water to knead. This is formed by Proofing of the dough and some unique criss-cross pattern is made of bread. Sesame seeds are also sprinkled over the top before baking and this is baked by egg wash over the top and served with many other dishes.

ETYMOLOGY

Ful medames has other names but very resemble this original name :

• ful mudammas
• Foule mudammes
• Ful

Challah is even more popular than Ful salad. So the names depend on the different languages and other names of different meanings. In the Hebrew language, Challah is meant to be a kind of loaf or cake. Classical Syrian language translated as “morsel of bread.”

• Hallah
• khala (In RUSSIA, UKRAINE)
• khale
• Chałka (In POLAND)
• Kitke (In SOUTH AFRICE)
• Berkhes
• Barches
• Bukhte
• Dacher (EUROPE)
• Koylatch (ROMANIA)
• Koilitsh (MIDDLE EAST)
• Shtritsl

FUL MEDAMES INCLUDED IN OTHER COUNTRIES

• Syria
• Jordan
• Egypt
• Aleppo
• Africa
• Somalia
• Ethiopia
• Morocco
• Malta
• Singapore
• Malaysia
• Palestine
• Levant

HISTORY OF FUL MEDAMES

This salad is the most ancient dish of Egyptian cuisine. Its cooking method is included in the notes of Jerusalem Talmud, this is also known by other names Talmuda de-Eretz Yisrael. In these notes, the ancient tradition of Egypt was written. It contains the tradition of the Land of Israel. This is the book of 350–400 CE into a series of notes with ancient tradition.

In this book, a basic recipe was written that is boiled fava beans with butter, salt, boiled eggs, garlic sauce, and cured beef.

In the Middle ages, there was a public Princess Baths in Cairo, during which FUL MEDAMES was served as the breakfast for Cairo’s population. This is known as  fūl ḥammām (“bath beans”)

OTHER COUNTRIES

MIDDLE EAST

In the Middle East, there are many countries, where this is a very common salad. It is served for the breakfast with boiled eggs and some bread. Sometimes it was prepared a night before and consumed the next morning.

In the Middle East, there are many countries, where this is a very common salad. It is served for the breakfast with boiled eggs and some bread. Sometimes it was prepared a night before and consumed the next morning. There are some variations according to the countries with the addition of sauces like Tahini sauce, Garlic sauce, Red pepper sauce, etc.

There are Middle Eastern countries in which FUL is common :

• Jordan
• Syria
• Aleppo

AFRICA

In Africa, there are some regions where this salad is served but with the use of their national spices. In some areas, fresh green peas, red beans, fava beans are boiled and mixed together for this salad. Olive oil is added as the dressing for the salad. Lemon juice is also added. There are some spices and more vegetables added in Ful for their authentic flavors.

In Somalia, this salad is served with KUBZ or CEESH. This is a kind of bread popular in Somalia. Lahoh is also a bread that is served with this salad in Somalia.

In Ethiopia, this is eaten with sort of pancakes, Injeria.

SINGAPORE

In Singapore, this is a dish known by the other name ”kacang poo”. In this dish, Fava beans, Kidney beans, salt, pepper, are mixed with Ghee and Oil. In this dish, meat chunks, meat mince are also be added.

MALTA

In Malta, there is a salad popular, bit-tewm (beans with garlic). In this dish, beans are soaked in water. The next morning, these beans are boiled, mixed with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic crushed, and eaten.

VARIETIES OF FUL MEDAMES

BIT TEWM

This dish is popular in MALTA. This is known as Beans with Garlic. These are beans that have a dressing of garlic sauce. This is eaten after the fast. This is the special dish for GOOD FRIDAY.

This dish has the following ingredients :

• Crushed garlic
• Dried mint
• Boiled fava beans
• Boiled green peas
• Kidney beans
• Olive oil
• Vinegar

ETHIOPIA STYLE FUL

This is famous in Ethiopia, this is served with pancakes. Pancakes-style bread is popular in Ethiopia, known as INJERIA. This is cooked by adding wheat flour, eggs, salt and making thin batter to cook crepe-like bread.

The beans are mixed with olive oil, BERBERE spice. This is the famous fava beans salad of Ethiopia. This dish has the following ingredients :

• Injeria ( crepe-like bread )
• Fava beans
• Berbere spices

SOMALIAN FUL MEDAMES

In Somalia, these beans are prepared. There is a spices mix known as Xawaash Spice mixture in which different spices are added like cumin, coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, pepper cones, nutmeg, sage, saffron, etc.

It is served with different pieces of bread:

• Ceesh
• Lahoh
• Laxoox
• Canjeero
• Khubz

COMPONENTS OF THE DISH

FAVA BEANS

This dish is a fava beans salad. Fava beans are known by other different names :

• Broad bean
• Fava bean
• Faba bean
• Field bean
• Tic bean
• Ttick bean
• Horse bean

SAUCES

There are different sauces used as the dressing to this salad. Following are different dressings :

• Tahini sauce
• Tomatoes sauce
• Garlic sauce
• Basturma
• Bechamal sauce
• Pepper sauce

OTHER VEGETABLES

There are some vegetables added to this salad are :

• Tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Mint
• Parsely
• Green pepper
• Red peppers

OTHER CONDIMENTS

• Boiled eggs
• Challah bread
• Vegetable pickles
• Rocket leaves
• Aleppo sauce

DRINK SERVINGS

• Fresh Mint Leaf Tea
• Turkish Apple Tea
• Green Detox
• Morgan’s spiced rum
• Beirut Blanc

TOPPINGS

• Poppy seeds
• Black sesame seeds
• Pita Chips
• Dried Fruit
• Shredded Hard Cheeses
• Sunflower seeds
• Caraway seeds
• Pretzel salts

INGREDIENTS OF FUL MEDAMES

1. Egyptian fava beans = 200 grams
2. Parsely = 1 cup
3. Mint = 1/2 cup
4. Onions = 1 chopped
5. Cucumber = 1 chopped
6. Tomatoes = 2 chopped
7. Garlic cloves = 12
8. Olive oil = 1 cup
9. Lemon juice = 1/2 cup
10. Cumin = 1 tbsp
11. Chili flakes = 1 tbsp

COOKING METHOD

1. Take fava beans in a cooking bowl with water and salt in it to boil it.
2. Boil it for 20 minutes until the beans softened enough.
3. Cut the vegetables into small cubes.
4. Prepare the dressing with olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, chili flakes and mix it well.
5. Mix all the prepared elements together and mix it well.
6. Toss it properly and serve with challah bread.