Bean dishes, like Fasoula and Ful Medames, are typical of the way beans are used in Middle Eastern Cooking.
When the beans begin to come fast and thick in your garden – or when they are in season and readily available in the grocery store - it’s time to make a huge pot of fasoula , an Armenian dish of French-cut green beans, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, garlic and, of course, lamb.
Stewed dishes of beans are common peasant fare, from Egypt – where Ful Medames (recipe follows) is a national dish – to the Bedouin campfires where lamb chunks cook slowly with whatever vegetables might be at hand. This version relies on fresh string beans, although the tomatoes may easily be of the canned variety. (Frozen beans work fine – but stay away from the canned stuff for this dish…you’ll end up with a tasteless mush)!
Fasoula
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of freshly green (string) beans, cut lengthwise – or French-style.
- 1 16 ounce can of whole stewed tomatoes (or about 16 ounces of Fresh ones, skinned and cut into large cubes).
- 1 large onion, coarsely diced – not too finely.
- 2 cloves of fresh garlic, diced up.
- 1 large green pepper, coarsely diced – not too finely.
- About 1 pound of lamb chunks. (You can use lamb necks, but take care to REMOVE THE BONES before eating).
- About 1 Tablespoon of Chaimen – or to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Method:
- Pour tomatoes into pot (juice and all).
- Add lamb chunks, onions, green peppers and Chaimen, cover and cook slowly for about 30 minutes.
- Add the beans and garlic – salt and pepper to taste and continue to cover and cook slowly until the beans are tender – but not mushy.
- Add water or chicken stock, if more liquid is required for a thick stew.
- Taste – and adjust seasoning, if needed.
- Let it sit for at least another 30 minutes to allow all the flavors to meld together. The longer it sits, the better is tastes!
Serve with Pilaf.
Serves about 4 people
Ful Medames
If there is a single dish that speaks "Egyptian" it would have to be Ful medames. It consists simply of fava beans that are cooked slowly in a pot with chopped onion and garlic. As the beans cook, they are partially mashed to create a thick sort of pottage.
This filling dish is then mixed with lots of extra virgin olive oil, parsley and lemon juice and served on flatbread – or if you can get it – Egyptian bread ('eish masri).
The dish itself is ancient, dating at least to the 4th century, when mentions of it begin to appear in various texts and is popular as a breakfast dish – especially during Ramadan, when a dish of Ful Medames, served with quartered hard boiled eggs for the early morning repast, can sit in the Faithfuls’ stomachs for hours as they brave the daylong fast.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of dried fava beans, soaked overnight
- 7 Cups of water
- Juice of 3 lemons
- 1 head of garlic – cloves separated and skinned
- ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
To Garnish:
- Quartered hard boiled egg slices
- More Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- More Lemon juice
- Chopped parsley
Method:
- Drain soaked beans and place in a crockpot (works best) or in a large pot with cover.
- Add the garlic cloves and 7 cups of fresh water
- Cook slowly (covered) for about 12 hours or until the beans are soft and "mashable" - but not yet mush.
- Add the chopped onion, lemon juice and olive oil.
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cook about 20 – 30 minutes more to soften the onion.
- With a potato masher or a big spoon, SLIGHTLY mash some of the mixture – but take care not to completely mash everything down.
Serve with flatbread or pita, garnished with the egg, parsley, lemon juice and olive oil – all to taste.
