Ful and "pickled eggplant"- فول و باذنجان مخلل

Ful (stewed fava beans) can be served with a number of side dishes, or more commonly, alone with fresh bread. My favorite combo is ful with a side of fried, pickled eggplant (badinjan mukhalal). Beans and eggplants are common Arabic/North African vegetables, and in this meal, make a satisfying combination that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I eat this stuff a lot.

Ful

1 can Egyptian fava beans (ful madamas) (preferably Ziyad brand).
1 onion, chopped.
1 tablespoon cumin.
1 tablespoon ground coriander (seeds).
Olive oil.

1. Chop onions, fry in olive oil with spices.



2. Drain fava beans, rinse in can, fill can (with beans) about 2/3 with clean water.

3. Pour favas into onion/spice fry. Let simmer for about 20 minutes. Mash fava beans on side of pot with large fork or slotted spoon.





4. Serve with chopped parsley, cilantro or dill (most exotic, arguably best), chopped hot peppers, a generous amount of fresh squeezed lemon, and a generous amount of good olive oil. Eat with bread.



Badinjan Mukhalal ("Pickled" eggplant)

The eggplant in this dish isn't really pickled in the sense that it is subject to anaerobic fermentation. Rather, the eggplant is roasted in olive oil, then tossed with an acidic, spicy dressing and refrigerated. The preparation mimics pickling without the overwhelming lactic tang, emphasizing instead fresh garlic, herb and hot pepper notes.

A lot of India or baby eggplants.
Cilantro.
Hot peppers.
2 cloves garlic.
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar.
Juice of 1 lime.
Sumac.



1. Rinse and quarter eggplants.



2. Salt eggplants heavily and let sit to draw out moisture. About 20-30 minutes. I have heard that the purpose of salting eggplant is to draw out "bitterness." This is false. The purpose of salting eggplant is to draw out moisture, allowing for better texture when roasted. Roasted eggplant that has not been salted comes out dry and chewy. Roasted eggplant that has been salted comes out moist, with a texture similar to fried eggplant with half the oil.



3. Rinse salted eggplant in cold water. Apply very good (read Palestinian - Ziyad's got it) olive oil liberally.



4. Roast on baking sheet at 400 Fahrenheit for about 40 minutes, or until golden brown and soft.



5. Mix rice wine vinegar, lime juice, fresh garlic, cilantro, hot peppers and sumac in a bowl.



6. Add eggplant to mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate for an hour. Eat. With ful and bread.



Sahtein,

Habibi

Habibi,

The ful looks delicious, and I really appreciate the recipe. Having never worked with canned favas, I was taken aback by the photo. Those reddish brown beans look like an entirely different species from the fresh ones available in early summer. Delicious in any color, I suspect.

Kenny

Thanks Kenny.

I think Egyptian favas are different than the ones we get here - they are definitely smaller. As far as ful preparations go, I think fresh favas are rarely used. Dried (preferable but requires more time) and canned are the norm.

Fresh favas are an entirely different animal and lend themselves to a number of great recipes, ful ain't one of them though.

I made a mock-ful with halved, dried favas over the summer. They sort of cooked down and it became more of a mash, but all the flavors were there (I added tomatoes to mine), creamy, herby, spicy, tart and good olive oil. Mmm.

Thanks for the inspiration, Habibi. I see ful in my near future.

Gastro Gnome,

That wasn't a mock ful you made - its the real thing. A good ful starts with soaked favas slow cooked until soupy then served with oil, herbs and veggies. Sounds great!