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Termes
Termes: brined lupin beans with lemon, cumin and chilli, sold in paper cones across Egypt
Termes sellers push their carts along the Nile corniche and outside schools and mosques, scooping the plump yellow beans into paper cones, especially around Sham el-Nessim in spring. You nip the skin with your teeth and pop out the firm, salty, nutty bean, with lemon, cumin and chilli on top. Dried lupins are naturally very bitter and must be soaked, cooked and then soaked again for about a week before they are safe to eat, so the hands-on time is short but the process is long. Never skip the debittering: badly prepared lupins can cause poisoning, so taste one before serving and keep soaking if any bitterness remains. Lupin is also a common allergen, especially for people allergic to peanuts. Chef's tip: once debittered, store them in salted water in the fridge, where they keep for two weeks.
- Total time
- 105 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 9 oz dried lupin beans
- 2 tbsp saltfor the storage brine
- 4 ¼ cups waterfor the storage brine
To serve
- 1 lemoncut into wedges
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Soak 9 oz dried lupin beans in a large bowl of cold water for 24 hours; they will double in size.
Step 2: Drain, put them in a large pot with fresh water to cover by 5 cm, bring to the boil and simmer until tender but still firm, topping up with water as needed.
75 minStep 3: Drain and cover with fresh cold water in a large bowl. Keep in the fridge and change the water twice a day for 5 to 7 days.
Step 4: From day 5, taste one bean each day. They are ready only when there is no bitterness at all. If in doubt, keep soaking.
Step 5: Bring 4 ¼ cups water and 2 tbsp salt to the boil, cool, and pour over the drained lupins in a jar. Refrigerate for at least a day before eating.
Step 6: To serve, drain a portion and toss with a squeeze of 1 lemon, 1 tsp ground cumin and ½ tsp chilli flakes, if using. Eat by pinching each bean out of its skin.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does termes take?
- About 105 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of lemon?
- Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).
- What can I use instead of ground cumin?
- Cumin seeds, toasted and ground.
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