Moroccan · Breakfast
Fava Bean & Fried Egg Breakfast
A rib-sticking Moroccan breakfast of warm, cumin-spiced fava beans stewed soft in olive oil and garlic, topped with a fried egg and eaten with bread to scoop everything up. Cheap, protein-packed and deeply savoury, it's exactly the kind of thing that fuels a morning's work.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Serves
- 2
- Level
- Easy
Ingredients
- 1 tin cooked fava beans (or 250 g cooked)
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- Pinch of chilli
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 eggs
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander
- Salt and pepper
Method
- 1
Warm the beans
Warm the favas with a little of their liquid, the garlic, cumin, paprika, chilli, half the oil and salt.
- 2
Mash lightly
Crush some of the beans with a fork so the mixture thickens but keeps texture.
- 3
Season
Stir in the lemon juice and taste for salt.
- 4
Fry the eggs
Fry the eggs in the rest of the oil to your liking.
- 5
Assemble
Spoon the beans into bowls and top each with a fried egg.
- 6
Serve
Finish with coriander, a drizzle of oil and bread for scooping.
Chef's tips
- Tinned favas make this a five-minute breakfast; drain and rinse first.
- A soft, runny yolk is the point — don't overcook the egg.
- Finish with plenty of good olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as Egyptian ful?
It's a close cousin — Morocco has its own fava-bean breakfasts (byessar and stewed favas). This spiced, egg-topped version shares DNA with ful medames across North Africa.
Fresh or tinned beans?
Dried favas soaked and cooked until soft are traditional, but tinned cooked favas are an excellent shortcut for a weekday breakfast.