Egyptian Fava Beans

Description
Egyptian Fava Beans

Ingredients

 * 4 dry small fava beans (broad beans or pink beans)
 * ½ cup split red lentils, washed, rinsed, and cleaned (optional)
 * 1-2 ripe tomatoes, chopped (optional)
 * 1 onion, chopped (optional)
 * 4 cloves garlic, crushed (optional)
 * ½ tsp ground coriander (optional)
 * 1 tsp cumin
 * ¼ cup lemon juice
 * ¼ cup olive oil
 * salt and pepper, to taste
 * ground cayenne pepper or red pepper, to taste
 * 1 fresh cilantro, parsley, or mint leaves, chopped
 * 1 bunch green onions (white part and some of the green part), chopped
 * 4 hard-boiled eggs

Directions
Wash and rinse fava beans and soak them, covered with cold water, for an entire day Drain and rinse before cooking.

In a large pot, bring fourteen cups of water to a boil. Add beans and lentils. Boil for several minutes. Skim any foam off top. Reduce heat and simmer. Add the optional tomato and onion, cover and simmer over very low heat for 8 hours. After 8 hours, check for dryness. If beans are dry, add boiling water as necessary. Cook another 2-3 hours, until beans are very tender.

Mash beans with potato masher. Stir in garlic, tomatoes and onions (as desired), coriander, cumin, lemon juice, and olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Simmer and stir for a few minutes more. Place serving-sized portions into bowls. Garnish with cilantro (or parsley, or mint) leaves, green onion, and sliced hard-boiled egg. Serve warm with warmed pita bread.