Gido Habib’s Ful Breakfast

“My maternal grandfather was a great man—a dedicated husband, father, and physician—who held fast to his Egyptian roots, starting with breakfast. Every morning of his adult life started with ful mudam- mas. These cooked fava beans are standard fuel for many Egyptians, often paired simply with bread. When I thought about tweaking this recipe to use a different bean and asked my mom for her opinion, her response was clear and emphatic. “Nooo!” she bellowed. “You can never change the fava bean in this recipe. The Egyptian people will never forgive you!” When your mother suggests that 100 million people will hate you, you shut up and do as you’re told.” – Eat, Habibi, Eat! by Shahir Masoud

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Gido Habib’s Ful Breakfast

Course Breakfast
Servings 6 servings
Author Shahir Masoud, author of Eat, Habibi, Eat!

Ingredients

Beans

  • ¼ cup olive oil divided
  • ½ red onion finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1 tsp + pinch salt divided
  • 3 tsp ground cumin
  • 18 fl oz can fava beans rinsed
  • ½ cup tahini
  • ½ cup lemon juice about 2 lemons

Flatbreads

  • 6 slices flatbread
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 6 eggs
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 red onion sliced
  • 1 tsp chili flakes
  • ½ bunch parsley chopped
  • ¼ bunch cilantro chopped

Instructions

  • To make the beans, in a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt, cooking to soften, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cumin and the beans, along with the rest of the olive oil. Cook, breaking up the beans with a wooden spoon, for another 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Transfer to a bowl, then mix in the tahini, lemon juice, and ½ cup of water. Season with the remaining teaspoon of salt.
  • To make the flatbreads, preheat the oven to 425°F. Brush each flatbread with some olive oil, then spread some of the ful mixtures on each piece. Place directly on a baking sheet and bake for 7 to 9 minutes until the bread browns nicely.
  • Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the butter over medium-low heat and crack in the eggs. Fry until the whites set and the yolks are still runny. Season with a pinch of salt.
  • Remove the flatbreads from the oven and top with the sliced red onion. Place the eggs on top, then finish with a pinch of chilli flakes and the parsley and cilantro.

Notes

You can readily find canned ful mudammas (cooked fava beans) in grocery stores these days, but if you find dried fava beans, just soak them overnight, then bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender before using them in this recipe.
 
Excerpted from Eat, Habibi, Eat! Fresh Recipes for Modern Egyptian Cookingby Shahir MassoudCopyright © 2021 Shahir Massoud. Photography by Kyla Zanardi. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Excerpted from Eat, Habibi, Eat! Fresh Recipes for Modern Egyptian Cookingby Shahir MassoudCopyright ©  2021 Shahir  Massoud.  Photography  by Kyla  Zanardi.  Published  by  Appetite  by Random   House®,   a   division   of   Penguin   Random   House   Canada Limited.   Reproduced   by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.