This dish is commonly served hot and can be enjoyed for breakfast, brunch, lunch or even dinner. It is highly nutritious and perfect comfort food when the temperatures are low.
Fava beans are rich in protein and a great source of dietary fiber, vitamin K, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc and copper.
Chickpeas are a great source of protein, folate, manganese and copper, s well as a good source of dietary fiber, calcium, phosphorus, protein, iron, zinc, vitamin C and vitamin B6.
To increase the body’s ability to absorb iron from the pulses it is good to combine them with vitamin C rich foods. Therefore, we add lemon juice to the “Foul moudammas with chickpeas” before serving.
My Lebanese family recipe for “Foul moudammas with chickpeas” combines two types of pulses: fava beans and chickpeas.
Pulses are highly nutritious foods and a very important part of the Mediterranean diet.
A simple yet delicious legume dish!!
COOKING THE BEANS
2 cups of Fava Beans
2 cups Chickpeas
2 liters of Water, for each cooking pot
INGREDIENTS
2 Fresh squeezed Lemon Juice, to your taste
5 Garlic cloves, mashed
Sea Salt
5 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
SIDE DISHES
1 small bunch of Fresh mint
Radish
Olives
Tomatoes, sliced
White small Onions, quartered
PREPARATION
If you are using dried chickpeas and fava beans, in one large bowl soak the dried chickpeas in warm water for 10 hours and in a different large bowl soak the dried fava beans in cold water for 10 hours. Ideally leave them soaked overnight.
In the morning rinse them well and drain. You will need 2 cooking pots to cook separately the chickpeas and the fava beans. For the chickpeas bring water to a boil in a cooking pot and when the water is boiling add the drained chickpeas and leave them cooking over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 hours until tender.
For the fava beans, add the drained fava beans in a cooking pot, cover with water and add one teaspoon extra virgin olive oil. Cook over low medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour until tender.
You may have to add extra water while the chickpeas and fava beans are cooking. Once they are cooked, add 1 teaspoon of sea salt (or salt to taste), stir and remove from the heat.
Once they are both cooked, mix them together,( use a fork to mash the beans adding some of the reserved water they were cooked in, as all the vitamins also exists in the soup of the chickpeas and fava beans), then add the freshly squeezed lemon juice, the garlic, salt, and 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Serve and garnish with fresh mint
Serve with side dishes and pita bread.
