Shahan ful
Shahan ful (also called ful or fūl) is a traditional dish from Sudan and the Horn of Africa made from slow-cooked fava beans mashed into a thick, savoury paste. It is commonly eaten in Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, and Ethiopia, especially for breakfast, where it is served alongside tea, coffee, or fresh vegetables, and eaten by scooping the mixture with a flatbread such as injera.
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried fava beans (or canned fava beans)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1–2 green chilies, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon berbere spice (optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or niter kibbeh
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Yogurt or feta cheese for serving (optional)
- Fresh coriander or parsley (optional)
- Bread rolls or flatbread for serving
Ingredients for 4 servings (865 g) · the original recipe
Method
- 1
Wash and soak the dried fava beans overnight.
- 2
Drain the beans and place them in a large pot with fresh water.
- 3
Simmer over low heat until the beans become soft and tender. Add more water if necessary.
Stovetop - 4
Mash the cooked beans into a coarse paste using a spoon or potato masher.
- 5
In another pan, heat the olive oil or niter kibbeh over medium heat.
Stovetop - 6
Add the onions and cook until soft.
- 7
Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, chilies, cumin, and berbere spice.
- 8
Cook for several minutes until fragrant.
- 9
Add the mashed beans and stir well.
- 10
Season with lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.
- 11
Simmer for a few minutes until thick.
Stovetop - 12
Serve hot with yogurt, feta cheese, or fresh herbs if desired.
Recipe from Wikibooks Cookbook, written by Wikibooks contributors. Used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; the ingredient list and method on this page are taken from that page and edited (its notes, tips and variations are not reproduced), and are available under the same licence. The macros, equipment tags and scaling are Ma Kitchen’s own and are not the source’s figures. Ma Kitchen is not affiliated with or endorsed by Wikibooks Cookbook. Copied on 2026-11-12.
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