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Ful Hilib (fava beans with meat): recipe illustration
Everyday meals

Ful Hilib (fava beans with meat)

Fava beans slow-cooked with pieces of meat, onions and spices until they form a creamy, flavourful mash. A Somali household staple, served hot with flatbread.

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Ingredients

Ingredients

Spices & seasoning

Optional extras

On the side

Instructions

  1. Soak the beans overnight in cold water, then drain them.
  2. Brown the meat cut into pieces in hot oil for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the sliced onions and chopped garlic, and let them soften for 8 minutes.
  4. Stir in the cumin, coriander, tomato paste and grated tomato, then let it reduce for 3 minutes.
  5. Add the drained beans and cover with water, then bring to a boil and skim off the foam.
  6. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 1 hour 30 minutes, until the beans are very tender and the sauce is thick.
  7. Lightly mash a few beans with a spoon to bind everything, season to taste and serve hot with bread.

Variations and tips

Vegetarian version. Leave out the meat and add a spoonful of olive oil to keep some richness on the palate.

Using what's easy to find. Dried fava beans are sold in Middle Eastern grocery stores; if you can't find them, tinned beans will cut the cooking time to about 20 minutes.

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Original Ecomely recipe.