Aubergine & Fava Beans with Eggs

I always keep a couple of tins of ful (fava beans) in my pantry for those times when I crave a quick and satisfying late breakfast or lunch at weekends. When simple butter and toast won’t do the trick and I’m in need of something more substantial and savoury, this is when fava beans come to the rescue.

You can substitute the eggs with feta cheese for an extra creamy and salty touch. Alternatively, the recipe works beautifully as a vegan dish without the eggs.

If fava beans aren’t available, you can easily substitute them with other tinned beans. Make sure to season the beans generously and serve them with fresh crusty bread or flatbread.

This is a truly filling and satisfying meal that never fails to impress.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium eggplants/aubergines (around 630g)
• 80ml olive oil, plus extra to serve
• salt and black pepper
• 1 onion, finely chopped (175g)
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 small piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated (20g)
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped, seeds and all (20g)
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1½ tsp tomato paste
• 2 plum tomatoes, chopped into 2cm chunks (300g)
• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 x 400g tin of fava beans, drained
• 15g fresh coriander, roughly chopped, plus more to serve
• 4 large eggs
• 30g sumac onions
  
  

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C fan.

2. Cut the aubergines into 4cm chunks and place in a large bowl. Mix well with 40ml of the oil, ½ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper, then spread out on a large parchment-lined baking tray. Roast for about 25 minutes, or until completely softened and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside.

3. While the aubergine is roasting, make the sauce. Put the remaining oil into a large sauté pan and place on a medium–high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 7 minutes, until softened and lightly browned. Add the garlic, ginger, green chilli, chilli flakes, spices and tomato paste and cook for another minute, or until fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes, tinned tomatoes, fava beans, water, 1¼ teaspoons of salt and a good grind of pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.

4. Add the aubergine chunks and cook for a further 3 minutes. Stir in the coriander, then reduce the heat to medium–low. Make 4 wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each well. Use a fork to gently swirl the egg whites a little bit, taking care not to break the yolks. Simmer gently for 7–8 minutes, until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny. You can cover the pan with a lid for the last few minutes (to speed up the process).

5. Leave to settle and cool for a couple of minutes, then garnish with the sumac onions, coriander, a drizzle of olive oil and a little salt on the eggs.
   
   

Extracted from Boustany by Sami Tamimi (Ebury Press, $65.00). Photography by Ola O. Smit.