Tamiya: Egyptian Fava Bean Stew
A hearty, garlicky Egyptian breakfast stew of slow-cooked fava beans topped with hard-boiled eggs, fresh herbs, and tangy lemon. Traditionally served with warm flatbread for scooping.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 412
- Protein
- 19g
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried fava beans
- 8 cloves garlic cloves, minced
- 1.5 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 whole eggs
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh dill or cilantro, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- 1
Place the dried fava beans in a large pot or bowl and cover with cold water until the beans are submerged by 2 inches; let soak overnight or for at least 8 hours.
- 2
The next day, drain the soaked beans in a colander, discarding the soaking water; rinse them under cool running water until the water runs clear.
- 3
Mince the garlic cloves until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice—about the size of pencil-tip dots.
- 4
Place the cumin seeds and coriander seeds in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat; stir constantly for 60 seconds until they smell strongly fragrant and begin to darken slightly.
- 5
Transfer the toasted seeds to a cutting board or mortar and crush them with a rolling pin or the bottom of the skillet until broken into small pieces.
- 6
Pour the olive oil into a large heavy pot and heat over medium heat until it shimmers and slides when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.
- 7
Add the minced garlic and crushed cumin and coriander to the hot oil; stir continuously for 30 seconds until the mixture becomes deeply fragrant and the garlic begins to soften.
- 8
Add the drained fava beans and vegetable broth to the pot; stir once to combine everything evenly.
- 9
Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a rolling boil—you will see large, vigorous bubbles breaking the surface constantly—then immediately reduce the heat to low.
- 10
Cover the pot with a lid and simmer on low heat for 60–75 minutes, stirring once every 15 minutes, until the beans have completely broken down and the stew looks creamy and thick like porridge.
- 11
While the beans simmer, fill a small pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat; gently lower the 4 eggs into the boiling water and boil for exactly 10 minutes.
- 12
Remove the eggs from the hot water using a slotted spoon and place them immediately into a bowl of ice water; let them cool for 5 minutes, then peel away the white shell and discard it.
- 13
Remove the pot of beans from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, salt, and black pepper until the flavors are evenly distributed throughout the stew.
- 14
Ladle the tamiya into shallow bowls, filling each bowl about three-quarters full with the creamy bean stew.
- 15
Place one peeled hard-boiled egg in the center of each bowl, nestled into the top of the stew.
- 16
Scatter the chopped fresh parsley and dill evenly over the top of each bowl, covering the surface with a light layer of green herbs.
- 17
Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a thin stream over the herbs and eggs in each bowl, creating a glossy finish.
- 18
Serve immediately with warm flatbread or pita on the side for scooping the creamy stew.
Tools you’ll need
- large pot for soaking and cooking
- colander
- small dry skillet
- cutting board or mortar and pestle
- rolling pin (if using cutting board method)
- wooden spoon or stirring spoon
- lid to fit the pot
- small pot for boiling eggs
- slotted spoon
- small bowl for ice bath
- ladle
- shallow serving bowls
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