Egyptian-Style Pinto Beans

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.