Ful medames

Place 200 grams of dried fava beans in a bowl with a quarter teaspoon of baking soda and pour over a large amount of water until completely submerged.

Soak three hours until the beans have inflated and doubled in size, then drain and rinse.

Add the soaked beans to a large pot with a large tomato and, optionally, a quarter cup of washed red lentils.

Add a quarter teaspoon of ground cumin, and a quarter teaspoon of baking soda if you want it to cook quicker.

Add one litre of boiling water and turn the heat up to high.

When it boils, turn the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and simmer four to six hours.

From four hours, check the beans for doneness: soft tender inside and an edible skin.

Drain the beans, retaining about half a cup of the liquid with them; for a lighter colour, boil at the start, throw out that water and add fresh.