Gido Habib’s Ful Breakfast

This recipe was originally published in the award-winning cookbook Eat, Habibi, Eat! Fresh Recipes for Modern Egyptian Cooking by Shahir Massoud (Appetite by Random House, 2021). You can purchase Eat, Habibi, Eat! here

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

Method:

1. 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, 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.
2. Transfer to a bowl, then mix in the tahini, lemon juice, and ½ cup water. Season with the remaining teaspoon of salt.
3. To make the flatbreads, preheat the oven to 425°F. Brush each flatbread with some olive oil, then spread some of the ful mixture on each piece. Place directly on a baking sheet and bake for 7 to 9 minutes until the bread browns nicely.
4. 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.
5. Remove the flatbreads from the oven and top with the sliced red onion. Place the eggs on top, then finish with a pinch of chili flakes and the parsley and cilantro.

Note: 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.