Middle Eastern · breakfast, lunch
Ful Medames, Alexandrian Style
Video by Middle Eats on YouTube · Open on YouTube
- Vegan
- Gluten-free ingredients
- Nut-free
Contains: none of the common allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
Fava beans and lentils give each serve about 13 g of plant protein and 9.5 g of fibre plus folate, and the dressing is raw vegetables, lemon and olive oil, rich in vitamin C, with no added sugar.
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Ingredients 14
Method
Tap a time to watch that step in the video.
- Soak the dried fava beans for 3 hours in plenty of water with the baking soda, then rinse and drain. 2:15
- Put the beans in a pot with the washed lentils, a whole tomato and ¼ tsp cumin. Cover with about 1 litre of boiling water, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer on the lowest heat for 4–6 hours until the beans and their skins are tender. 2:44
- Drain, keeping about half a cup of the cooking liquid with the beans; this makes roughly 2 cups of plain ful. 3:32
- For the Alexandrian dressing, dice the tomatoes and red onion, mince the garlic and chop the green chillies. 4:19
- Combine the warm ful with the vegetables, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, cumin, pepper and chilli powder. Mix well, taste and adjust, and finish with coriander or parsley. Serve warm with bread or pita. 4:36
Tip. Serves 4 is our estimate. The video dresses 1 cup of ful; the dressing here is doubled for the 2-cup batch. Short on time: warm 2 × 400 g cans of cooked ful and go straight to the dressing.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One serve gives you 1 of 4
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 28%
- Protein 14%
- Fat 58%
For comparison, low-carb eating usually gets under 26% of its energy from carbs, and ketogenic eating under 10%. Why this is here
Lower-carb idea. About 60% of the 27 g of net carbs come from the dried ful medames. To cut carbs, try a smaller portion with extra leafy or other non-starchy vegetables.
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Folate High47%
189 µg a serve, mostly from dried ful medames (63%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Vitamin C High32%
28 mg a serve, mostly from tomato (37%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Vitamin E High29%
4.4 mg a serve, mostly from olive oil (77%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Vitamin K High29%
34 µg a serve, mostly from olive oil (41%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Iron High21%
3.9 mg a serve, mostly from dried ful medames (45%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Magnesium Source18%
77 mg a serve, mostly from dried ful medames (64%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Zinc Source17%
1.8 mg a serve, mostly from dried ful medames (62%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Vitamin B6 Source17%
0.3 mg a serve, mostly from dried ful medames (28%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Potassium Source15%
710 mg a serve, mostly from dried ful medames (44%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Omega-3 Source13%
0.2 g a serve, mostly from olive oil (84%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Show the other 5
Selenium8%
4.3 µg a serve, mostly from dried ful medames (70%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Vitamin A7%
59 µg a serve, mostly from tomato (55%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Calcium6%
77 mg a serve, mostly from dried ful medames (54%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Vitamin D0%
0 µg a serve. Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Vitamin B120%
0 µg a serve. Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
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Recipe and video by Middle Eats; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.