Ftoor
Palestinian Breakfast Spread with Ful Mudammas
Ftoor is the Palestinian breakfast spread, a relaxed table of small plates meant for grazing and lingering over tea or coffee. At the center sits a bowl of warm ful mudammas, small fava beans simmered until soft and mashed lightly with garlic, lemon, cumin, and plenty of olive oil, then crowned with diced tomato and parsley. Around it go warm pita for dipping and scooping, creamy labneh, crisp cucumbers, olives, slices of pan-seared halloumi, and little bowls of za'atar and dukkah for dunking oil-dipped bread. It is a generous and unhurried way to start the morning the way families across Palestine do.
Method
The night before, sort through the dried fava beans and rinse them well, then cover generously with cold water and leave to soak overnight, about 8 to 12 hours.
Drain the soaked beans and put them in a pot with fresh water to cover by a few inches. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer and cook, partly covered, until the beans are very tender and creamy, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, adding a little hot water if the level drops too low. Season with salt near the end of cooking.
Drain the beans, keeping a little of the cooking liquid. Return them to the warm pot and mash lightly with the back of a spoon or a potato masher, leaving some beans whole for texture and loosening with a splash of the reserved liquid.
Stir the crushed garlic, lemon juice, cumin, and 1/4 cup olive oil through the warm ful and taste for salt and lemon. Spoon into a wide bowl, top with the diced tomato and chopped parsley, and finish with a good drizzle of olive oil.
Peel and slice the cucumbers and arrange on a small plate.
Set out small bowls of labneh, za'atar, dukkah, olive oil, and olives.
Sear the halloumi slices in a dry or lightly oiled nonstick pan over medium-high heat until golden on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side.
Warm the pita bread until soft and pliable.
Bring everything to the table with the bowl of warm ful at the center, and share by dipping and scooping with torn pita.
Cook’s notes
- In a hurry, two cans of prepared ful medames, warmed and drained, stand in for the soaked and simmered dried beans, though the flavor and texture of dried small favas is worth the wait.
- Stir a little olive oil into the za'atar to make an instant dip for the pita.
- Vary the plates with whatever you have on hand, such as sliced tomatoes, radishes, or fried and boiled eggs.
- Cook the ful a day ahead and reheat gently with a splash of water, dressing it fresh with garlic, lemon, and oil just before serving.
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