Egyptian-style braised beans

Name: Egyptian-style braised beans
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 h 5 min
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 250 g dried borlotti beans; 1 onion, diced; 4 clove/s garlic, crushed; 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus a drizzle to serve; ¾ tsp sea salt; 1 small lmon, juice of 1/2 and the rest in wedges; 1 tbsp tahini; 1 tbsp cumin seeds; 1 handful flat leaf parsley, chopped; 4 wholemeal pittas, toasted

This is an adaptation of ful medames, a homely, warming dish of slow-cooked dried fava (broad) beans with oil, onion, garlic and cumin that is commonly eaten for breakfast in Egypt, and throughout the day all over the Middle East.

4 out of 5 stars(1) Rate this recipe

HealthyHigh fibre

Serves4
CourseBreakfast
Prepare15 mins
Cook2 hrs 5 mins
Total time2 hrs 20 mins
Plusovernight soaking

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Ingredients

250g dried borlotti beans
1 onion, diced
4 clove/s garlic, crushed
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus a drizzle to serve
¾ tsp sea salt
1 small lmon, juice of 1/2 and the rest in wedges
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 handful flat leaf parsley, chopped
4 wholemeal pittas, toasted

Method

Soak the beans overight in a bowl of cold water. The next day, preheat the oven to 160ºC, gas mark 3. Drain the beans and put in a medium casserole with the onion, garlic, oil, salt and 500ml water. Cover with a lid and bake for 2 hours.
Remove from the oven: the beans should now be nice and soft. mash lightly with the back of a form or a potato masher. Stir in the lemon juice and check the seasoning. they're ready to eat now, or they taste even better reheated the next day.
To serve, warm the beans on the hob (if necessary), adding a splash of water to loosen. Mix the tahini in a bowl with 2-4 tbsp warm water until the consistency of single cream; season and set aside. Toast the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, then roughly crush in a pestle and mortar. Spoon the beans into shallow bowls with some tahini spooned over the top, plus a generous drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of crushed cumin seeds and a scattering of chopped parsley. Serve with the toasted pitta bread for scooping up and lemon wedges for squeezing over.