Sudanese Ful Medames

This is the second dish I'm featuring from our Seven Countries Dinner.  These fava beans (and fava beans, period) are very popular in other countries as well, especially Egypt and the Middle East.  I was able to find canned fava beans in my well-stocked local international store.  This is the Sudanese version.  We also read the book "Brothers in Hope" about the lost boys of Sudan, displaced because of the civil war.  It's a children's book, but it's great for everyone.

Sudanese Ful Medames
adapted from Simply Fresh Dinners

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 14 ounce can of fava beans
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small onion, diced
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
juice from 1 lemon-add to taste
salt to taste
¼ cup organic vegetable broth, optional (I didn't use)
1 tomato, chopped
olive oil
¼ cup chopped parsley
optional garnishes- mint, red pepper, onion, lemons, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, cucumber, pitas, naan.

1.  Drain and rinse fava beans.  (You can save some liquid to use later, if you want.) Mash ½ of the beans with a fork. (mashing will give the dish a thicker consistency).

2.  Heat olive oil in medium sized skillet on medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until softened, approximately 5 minutes. Add beans, cumin, paprika, lemon and salt, mixing well and cook for 5 minutes on medium. During this time you might want to add the vegetable broth or more olive oil (or bean juice) if it is too dry. Add your choice of liquid slowly until reaching the desired consistency.

3.  Serve with chopped tomatoes (I accidentally cooked tomatoes with beans- it was still good) and parsley, drizzling olive oil on top. Top with optional garnishes, if desired. 

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com**