This has got to be the easiest and one of the most delicious breakfasts in the world.
Known as Egypt's "national dish" it's primary ingredient is canned fava beans, called ful even before they're tastied up. After a simple treatment, which you can amend according to your preferences, you can begin your addictive journey.
Ful or fava beans are rated highly nutritious - something the Egyptians have known since the times of the Pharoahs. Rames III is said to made an offering of 11998 jars of them to the Nile god.
Their only disadvantage is that the cans can be hard to find - try an Arabic or Turkish store; or you can buy the fava beans themselves and soak them over night.
Make it yourself
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The complete name for ful is ful medammes. In ancient Egyptian, the word "ful" means beans; medammes comes from an old Copt word meaning bury. In those days, the beans were put in sealed jars and cooked in fire pits.
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Open the can and drain the beans. While they drip, pour some olive oil in a small pan, toss in a chopped onion, a chopped clove of garlic, a chopped chili (considering your tolerance for "heat") and a teaspoon of cumin (an antiflatulent). Stir and cook over lmedium heat for a minute or two.
Add the drained beans, a tablespoon of lemon juice and a couple more tablespoons of olive oil. Add some red pepper if you like a zing. Let it all simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occassionally and mashing some of the beans.
You can serve in one bowl - topped with another spill of olive oil and a sprig of parsley. Alongside, serve bowls of chopped tomato, green pepper, sliced scallions, fried of boiled eggs, some pita bread and a soft white cheese .
Or buy it fast
In Cairo, you can grab a bowl on the street; the beans scooped out of huge round metal pots.
The merchant on the left has a regular station, domesticated with plants and located conveniently next to a public water box (right).
For more food: mulukheyya, kushary, baladi bread.
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