Only Fuuls Rush In

First published February 8, 2009

Our apartment (or "flat" as they call it) is located in the district of Mohandiseen in Cairo. This neighborhood is home to little convenience stores, shoes stores and a couple fast food places. We haven't yet adjusted to all the noise, but we are getting used to the stares and quizzical looks that say, "What are you doing here? Tourists never come to this part of town."

Living in an apartment with many families also gives opportunity to share life, smiles (until we learn more Arabic) and food smells. We have come home many times from different outings and are welcomed by the most incredible aromas wafting through the hallway.

After class today, John went and purchased "aish" (flatbread) from the local vendor. Truly you can't get fresher bread than this since it is wheeled out on a wagon every day right out of the oven. I needed the bread to go with a dish I was preparing to make. This recipe is a staple in Egypt so I thought I should learn how to make this tasty little bit of heaven. It's name is "fuul" (fool). The name should have tipped me off.

I knew a few of the ingredients that I needed, but still didn't have all of the spices figured out so I did what any student of Arabic for one day would do--looked on the internet.

I found a recipe from Egypt and made a list of all the items I would need. They are: fava beans, red split lentils, cumin, coriander, garlic cloves, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, hard-boiled eggs, lemon juice and feta. I went to a new store and searched for everything. I couldn't find fava beans, so I purchased black-eyed peas. I couldn't find red split lentils so I got yellow split lentils. The cashier put my garlic cloves back because I forgot to have the lady in produce put a sticker on it and he wouldn't check the price for me. I forgot the feta and lemons, too. Sigh.

I pulled myself together and began the first steps of the process. I could get the other ingredients later. First, you soak the beans in a big vat of water for 24 hours. (This ain't no fastfood or Hamburger Helper meal...) So that ended the first step. After you soak the beans, they are to be rinsed and placed in a giant container of boiling water adding the lentils. You boil the combined items for an hour and then set it to simmer with a lid FOR ANOTHER 8 HOURS!!! Okay, seriously. What cook could survive this?! I'm already up to 33 hours and I have nothing to show for it.

Once the beans have cooked down to complete mush, you mash them some more with a potato masher. Then you add the other ingredients with some water and you guessed it...let it simmer some more. Once it has simmered for an hour or so, you spoon it into bowls and eat it with flat bread--which has now gone stale because I didn't know making this would take so long.

I guess I'll be sharing with our neighbors. When I was pulling together all the ingredients for this delectable dish I didn't check how many it fed. Somewhere around 48. I hope it tastes good--really, really good..

The finished meal. More work than Thanksgiving dinner...That's just wrong.