Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
I have the ultimate Sehri feast for you today!
Before I introduce (or reacquaint) you to ful mudammas, let's talk Sehri.
Here in the North West of England, we have to eat our morning meal before approximately 3am. It's not too bad once you get used to it and get into a routine. Everyone I know has their own Sehri routine.
Some people go to sleep after Taraweeh prayers and some people stay awake. I am one of those who stays awake. The other night though, I was so tired after a long day of fasting, I decided to have a two hour snooze before Sehri. What a mistake! Guys, I woke up feeling awful and so sick. Ugh, it was the worst feeling ever. So now, I've decided that even though it's quite tiring, I'd rather stick it out and stay awake than feel that horrible feeling again.
Whatever you decide to do leading up to Sehri, eating it is a very good idea. It was the practice of the Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and helps to sustain us throughout the day's fast. Most people have breakfast food for Sehri. If you follow me on Instagram (which you totally should), you'll see in my Stories that I usually go down the eggs, toast or cereal route in those early morning hours.
If you want something a little different though, try this recipe for ful mudammas. It's a very popular Middle Eastern breakfast dish and today, I'm sharing a Yemeni take on it. I love this particular version because it's well spiced but the thing that really makes the dish sing are the sides that are served with it. Pitta, boiled eggs, pickled peppers, cured meats, soft cheese, olives, lemon wedges - pick one or enjoy them all with your morning ful. And, don't worry. The whole meal can easily be made in advance and reheated - perfect for any Sehri sleepy heads.
A Simple List of Ingredients:
1. Onion
2. Green Chillies
3. Garlic
4. Fresh Coriander
5. Red Bell Pepper
6. Ground Turmeric
7. Ground Coriander
8. Ground Cumin
9. Curry Powder
10. Tinned Fava Beans
11. Black Pepper
12. Tinned Chopped Tomatoes
To Serve:
1. Pitta Bread
2. Boiled Eggs
3. Lemon Wedges
4. Fresh Coriander
5. Salami
6. Soft Cheese
7. Pickled Peppers
8. Olives
Bismillah, let's begin!
We start by blending up the beans with 2 Green Chillies and 3 Garlic Cloves.
I used 1 tin (400g) Fava Beans. You can get many different varieties and even those that say ready to eat on the tin will work for this recipe.
Once you've cracked open the tin, you'll see that there is liquid on top. We'll be using that too.
And, under the liquid are the fava beans themselves. Add both the beans and their liquid to a food processor along with the chillies and garlic.
Blend until smooth.
And, set aside until needed.
Next, let's cook the ful itself. Heat a few tablespoons Olive Oil over a medium-low heat and add 1 Onion, peeled and finely diced.
Add in 1/2 Red Bell Pepper, chopped into chunks. You can use green or yellow peppers too but I prefer the red.
Gently cook the two with the olive oil until they're both soft.
Before adding in the spices:
1/2 teaspoon Ground Turmeric
1 teaspoon Curry Powder
1/2 teaspoon Ground Coriander
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
Salt, to taste
Stir and cook the spices until they're fragrant.
Then, stir in 1/2 tin (200g) Chopped Tomatoes.
And, add in the blended beans from earlier.
Stir in.
Then, cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for 10-15 minutes.
Then, uncover and check the consistency of the ful. If you want it looser, add a splash of water.
Then, uncover and check the consistency of the ful. If you want it looser, add a splash of water.
Once you're happy, add in a Handful of Fresh Coriander, chopped.
Stir it in and the ful is ready.
When you're ready to serve, gather your sides and pop the ful into a bowl.
I served mine with Pittas but parathas would be great here too.
For a tangy flavour, we ate Pickled Peppers and Olives.
I also served Soft Cheese alongside the ful.
If you're not a vegetarian or vegan, a little Salami is good with the ful too.
And for extra breakfast protein, a few Boiled Eggs are great.
Finally, plenty of Lemon Wedges to squeeze over.
It's a feast to sustain you throughout the long fast. I hope it makes it to your Sehri table this Ramadan.
Ful Mudammas.
a Yemeni take on the classic Middle Eastern breakfast bean dish.
Prep Time: About 10 minutes.
Cook Time: About 30 minutes.
Serves: About 3 people.
Ingredients
1 tin (400g) Fava Beans
2 Green Chillies, roughly chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
Olive Oil, as needed
1 Onion, peeled and finely diced
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon Ground Turmeric
1 teaspoon Curry Powder
1/2 teaspoon Ground Coriander
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
Salt, to taste
1/2 tin (200g) Chopped Tomatoes
Handful of Fresh Coriander, finely chopped
To Serve
Pitta Bread
Soft Cheese
Boiled Eggs
Salami
Pickled Peppers
Olives
Lemon Wedges
Blend the beans:
Cook the ful:
- Place the tinned beans along with all their water into a food processor with the green chillies and garlic. Blend until smooth.
Cook the ful:
- Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onions and chopped pepper. Cook for a few minutes until soft.
- Then, add in the ground turmeric, curry powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, black pepper and salt. Fry for a few minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in the tinned tomatoes and blended beans. Cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for 10-15 minutes.
- Check the consistency. If you would like the ful looser, add a splash of water.
- Stir in the fresh coriander and serve.
- Serve with pitta and any of the sides that you prefer.
{adapted from recreating recipes}
Keep me in your Ramadan duas please, and enjoy your ful!
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!