Warmed fava beans topped with a cool garlic-yogurt sauce, a refreshing Egyptian-style suhoor that aids digestion.
Pairing fava beans with yogurt is an old rural Egyptian tradition, pairing starchy legumes with the probiotics of dairy.
The beans fill you up and the yogurt lightens it, so suhoor becomes easy to digest. Many Egyptian homes prepare this dish especially in Ramadan because it opens the appetite after long hours of fasting.
In a small pot, warm the drained beans with 1/4 cup water and mash half of them with the back of a spoon. Add the cumin and salt and stir over low heat for three minutes.
In a bowl, whisk the yogurt with the crushed garlic and lemon juice. Add two spoons of cold water and whisk until the texture is pourable and creamy.
Take the pot off the heat and leave it to cool for one minute before adding the yogurt sauce. High heat kills the beneficial yogurt bacteria and curdles the texture.
Pour the beans into a wide plate and make a well in the middle to fill with the yogurt sauce. Warm the olive oil and drizzle it on top.
Sprinkle the red pepper and parsley and serve immediately with warm country bread.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Fava Beans with Yogurt and Garlic, and how to fix them:
It was too hot. Cool the beans completely and loosen the yogurt with cold water before mixing.
Add a spoon of tahini or an extra spoon of olive oil to balance the acidity.
Halve the amount and soften the garlic in oil before mixing to make it gentler.
Add a spoon of mashed chickpeas or arrange a sliced boiled egg on top.
One day in a container. Stir again before serving and add a spoon of yogurt.
Yogurt separates after thawing.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greek yogurt | Full-fat laban | 1:1 | Lighter texture and cheaper. |
| Canned fava beans | Fresh cooked fava beans | 300 g | Takes longer. |
| Parsley | Fresh cilantro | 1:1 | A different Gulf-style flavor. |
| Ingredient | 2 people | 4 people | 6 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foul medames | 400 g | 800 g | 1200 g |
| Yogurt | 150 g | 300 g | 450 g |
| Garlic | 10 g | 20 g | 30 g |
| Olive oil | 20 ml | 40 ml | 60 ml |
Cool the beans before mixing with the yogurt. Heat kills the beneficial bacteria and causes the yogurt to curdle. Cold yogurt keeps its creamy texture and cools the warm beans.
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