zareh's ful medames

Ful Medames

1. Place a medium-sized pot full of water on high heat and bring to a boil. Pod the broad beans and then blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In the same pot, place the sliced garlic in with the olive oil. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.
3. In a small pan, toast cumin seeds over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add cumin to a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt and grind to a coarse powder.
4. Add the cumin to the pot with the garlic and cook for 3 minutes more or until fragrant.
5. Add broad beans and water into the pot, making sure the oil is not too hot first (the water should just cover the beans; add more if necessary).
6. Bring to a gentle simmer, then turn to the lowest heat possible, place a lid on the pot, and cook gently for 1 hour or until skins are very soft and tender. Turn off and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Tarator

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk till smooth. The consistency should be similar to cream; if too thick, whisk in another tablespoon of water.
2. Set aside at room temperature.

Salad

1. Slice tomatoes, spring onions, fresh and pickled cucumbers into approximately 1 cm rings, then place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Thinly slice green chilli (deseed if you want less heat) and add to bowl.
3. Roughly chop herbs and add to the bowl along with a teaspoon of salt and lemon juice.

To Serve

1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add eggs, turn the heat to medium, and cook for 7 minutes. Drain and run cold water over eggs to stop cooking. Set aside.
2. When ready to serve, bring the Ful to a boil, then with the back of a large spoon, gently mash the beans against the side of the pot. The trick is to smash about half of the beans, then leave the other half whole.
3. Remove from heat, add ⅓ cup of tarator and mix well. The Ful will emulsify and become very creamy. If too thick, add a splash of water.
4. Divide the Ful into 4 serving bowls or plates and top each with the salad and an egg. Dust with paprika, cayenne, black pepper and a glug of olive oil.
5. Serve the remaining tarator on the side, adjust the seasoning to your liking and enjoy.