West African Bean Stew
User Reviews
5
West African Bean Stew
Description
West African Bean Stew centers on black-eyed peas, soaked and simmered until tender or using canned beans for convenience. Palm oil forms the base, heated to soften sliced onions and infuse the dish with its distinct rich taste. Fresh ingredients like ginger, garlic, and scotch bonnet peppers are blended with tomatoes to create a vibrant and spicy sauce. Optional seasoning cubes and shrimp seasoning enhance umami depth.
The stew can be adjusted for heat by varying the number of scotch bonnet peppers. The texture is thickened by manually mashing the cooked beans or blending a portion and stirring it back into the pot. This creates a hearty consistency while retaining some whole beans for bite. The optional addition of canned mackerel introduces a layer of savory richness and seafood flavor characteristic of some West African variants.
This stew pairs well with staple side dishes like rice or fufu. Using an electric pressure cooker or Instant Pot can reduce bean cooking time and conserve energy, making preparation efficient. Combining blended tomatoes with tomato paste can heighten color and enhance the sauce's intensity.
Ingredients
- 500 g black-eyed peas you can also use other types of dried beans, such as kidney beans, dried or canned (approx. 4 14.5 oz cans), approx. 1 pound dried
- ¾ cup palm oil
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger finely minced or crushed
- 4-6 cloves garlic finely minced or crushed
- 6-8 tomato blended or canned (14.5 oz
- 1 cube shrimp seasoning (optional)
- ¾ teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1-3 Scotch bonnet peppers
- 1 teaspoon seasoning cube all-purpose
- ½ can mackerel in oil approximately 200g or 7.25 ounces (optional, drained
Instructions
- If using dried black-eyed peas, check and remove stones and unwanted debris, rinse them thoroughly, and soak them in water for 5-6 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse again before cooking. If using canned beans, simply drain and rinse, without boiling.
- In a large pot, add the soaked and drained uncooked black-eyed peas (skip this step if using canned beans). Cover with water, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 40-60 minutes, or until the beans are tender. Keep adding water to the pot if necessary, to prevent burning. Drain the cooked beans, then set aside.
- Using a blender, process the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and scotch bonnet peppers (adjust the number of peppers based on your spice tolerance) until you have a smooth puree.
- In a large, pot or pan, heat the palm oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté until they become translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the blended tomato mixture, shrimp seasoning cube, chili powder, all-purpose seasoning cube, and salt to the pot or pan. Stir well to combine.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the sauce for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens, darkens, and the oil begins to separate from the sauce.
- Gently add the cooked beans and fish (optional). Allow the stew to simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to combine (see notes).
- Taste, and adjust the seasoning if needed, to your preference. Serve this African bean stew with rice, fried plantain, gari, boiled yams, or as preferred.
Notes
- Using an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker can save time and energy when boiling beans.
- Combining blended tomatoes with tomato paste intensifies flavor and deepens the stew’s color.
- Thicken the stew by mashing some beans directly in the pot or by blending and stirring back in.
- Nutritional information is approximate and depends on ingredient brands and quantities.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 364 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 364kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 20g | 7% |
| Protein | 9g | 18% |
| Fat | 28g | 43% |
| Saturated Fat | 14g | 70% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 8mg | 3% |
| Sodium | 342mg | 14% |
| Potassium | 302mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 175IU | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 5mg | 6% |
| Calcium | 55mg | 6% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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