Egyptian-Style Pinto Beans

By Courtney HillNovember 8, 2022

Makes
4 servings
Cook Time
35 minutes

Ful medammes, or cooked dried fava beans finished with various garnishes that add color as well as flavor and texture (chopped tomatoes, parsley, onion and hard-cooked eggs are typical), often is considered the national dish of Egypt, though it is common throughout the Middle East and North Africa. We swap canned pinto beans, which have a dense, creamy, buttery quality, for the dried favas, and we cook them briefly with seasonings before lightly mashing and garnishing them. Serve with warm pita bread for scooping.

Ingredients

2
15½-ounce cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
¼
cup lemon juice, plus lemon wedges to serve
¼
cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
2
medium garlic cloves, finely grated
¼
teaspoon red pepper flakes OR 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
¾
teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1
ripe medium tomato, cored and chopped
2
hard-cooked large eggs, peeled and cut into wedges
½
cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Optional garnish: Chopped cucumber OR thinly sliced scallions OR both

Step 1

In a medium saucepan over medium, combine the beans, lemon juice, oil, garlic, pepper flakes, cumin, ½ teaspoon black pepper and ½ cup water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans have softened and the mixture is slightly soupy, about 10 minutes.

Step 2

Off heat, use a potato masher to lightly mash the beans so the mixture thickens slightly but keep them mostly whole. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Transfer the beans to a serving bowl or divide among individual bowls. Garnish with the tomato, eggs and parsley. Drizzle with additional oil and serve with lemon wedges.