Aubergine and fava beans with eggs and sumac onions

Telegraph

10-06-2025

I always keep a couple of tins of ful (fava beans) for those times when I crave a quick and satisfying late breakfast or lunch at weekends. 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 swap them with other tinned beans. Season the dish generously and serve with fresh crusty bread or flatbread. The sumac onions will make more than you need, but they're great with hummus, falafel wraps, or in lentil soup.
Overview
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
40 mins
Serves
4
Ingredients
For the sumac onions
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1½ tbsp sumac
100ml cider vinegar
3 tbsp lemon juice
For the aubergine and fava beans
2 medium aubergines (around 630g)
80ml olive oil, plus extra to serve
1 onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 green chilli, finely chopped, seeds and all
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1½ tsp tomato paste
2 plum tomatoes, chopped into 2cm chunks
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 x 400g tin fava beans, drained
15g fresh coriander, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve
4 large eggs
Method
Step
Preheat the oven to 240C/220C fan/gas mark 9.
Step
To make the sumac onions, put 1 thinly sliced red onion in a 400ml jar that has a lid. Add 1½ tbsp sumac and set aside.
Step
Put 100ml cider vinegar, 3 tbsp lemon juice, 100ml water and 1 tbsp salt in a medium bowl and whisk well until the salt has dissolved. Pour the mixture over the onions, cover the jar, then give it a gentle shake, seal, and leave to one side. You can store the onions in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
Step
Cut 2 medium aubergines into 4cm chunks and place in a large bowl. Mix well with 40ml olive oil, ½ tsp salt and some 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.
Step
While the aubergine is roasting, make the sauce. Put 40ml olive oil into a large sauté pan and place on a medium-high heat. Add 1 finely chopped onion and cook for about 7 minutes, until softened and lightly browned.
Step
Add 6 crushed garlic cloves, 1 peeled and finely grated small piece of ginger, 1 finely chopped green chilli, 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1 tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp ground cinnamon and 1½ tsp tomato paste and cook for another minute, or until fragrant.
Step
Add 2 plum tomatoes, chopped into 2cm chunks, 1 x 400g tinned chopped tomatoes, 1 x 400g tin fava beans, 300ml water and some seasoning. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
Step
Add the aubergine chunks and cook for a further 3 minutes. Stir in 15g roughly chopped fresh 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.
Step
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).