Beans and Ewedu with Tomato Pepper Sauce

Introduction

You cook three parts here: gbegiri from soaked and blended beans, ewedu simmered with potash and locust beans, and a blended tomato-pepper sauce cooked until the raw flavor is gone. The beans take most of the time, so this fits better as a weekend meal or a make-ahead lunch than a fast weeknight dinner. You end up with a plate that balances rich palm oil, soft fish and meat, slippery greens, and a bright sauce.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
• Servings: 2-3

Ingredients

Gbegiri

• 1 cup dried beans
• 2 large pieces of meat, cut into pieces
• ½ cup palm oil
• 1 onion
• 2 teaspoons ground crayfish
• Salt to taste
• 2 dryfish

Ewedu

• 3 cups ewedu leaves
• 1 piece of potash
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 stock cube
• 2 nylons of fermented locust beans

Pepper sauce

• 2 red bell peppers
• 3 tomatoes

Instructions

Gbegiri

1. Soak the beans in water overnight. Remove and discard the skins.
2. Boil the beans in fresh water until very soft. Drain well.
3. Blend the beans to a purée using a blender. Set aside.
4. Boil the meat in a pot of water with onions and spices. Remove the meat and set aside.
5. Heat a small amount of palm oil in a pot. Add the blended beans, crayfish, salt, boiled meat, and dryfish. Cook until the fish is softened.

Ewedu

1. Boil the ewedu for about 15 minutes.
2. Soften with potash, then add a pinch of salt and stock cube.
3. Blend the ewedu mixture until smooth, and stir in the locust beans.
4. Reduce the heat, and allow to simmer.

Pepper sauce

1. Blend the pepper and tomato together until smooth.
2. Heat a small amount of oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the blended mixture, and cook until it loses the raw flavor.
3. Serve the pepper sauce in one dish with the gbegiri and ewedu.

Variations

• Change the meat to goat for a firmer bite and deeper flavor, or use beef for a softer texture and a milder broth.
• Replace the dryfish with extra boiled meat if you want the gbegiri less smoky and less fish-forward.
• Reduce the palm oil in the gbegiri for a lighter bowl; the color will be less orange and the finish less rich.
• Add a hot pepper to the pepper sauce when blending if you want more heat without changing the basic tomato-pepper profile.
• Blend the ewedu less for a looser, more textured soup instead of a fully smooth finish.

Tips for Success

• Cook the beans until they crush easily between your fingers before blending, or the gbegiri will stay grainy.
• Drain the boiled beans well before blending so the purée stays thick enough to cook into a proper soup.
• Hold back on salt until the dryfish, crayfish, and stock cube are in, since all three add their own seasoning.
• Cook the pepper sauce until the raw tomato smell is gone and the color deepens; if you stop early, it will taste flat and watery.
• Simmer the ewedu gently after blending so it stays smooth and doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pot.

Storage and Reheating

Store the gbegiri, ewedu, and pepper sauce in separate airtight containers if possible. Keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freeze the gbegiri and pepper sauce for up to 2 months. The ewedu can be frozen for up to 1 month, but the texture softens slightly after thawing.

Reheat on the stovetop over low heat for the best texture. Add a small splash of water to the gbegiri or ewedu if they have thickened in the fridge, and stir often until fully hot. You can also microwave individual portions in a covered bowl in 30-second bursts, stirring between rounds.

FAQ

Can you use canned beans instead of dried beans?

Yes. Use about 2 1/2 to 3 cups cooked beans and skip the soaking and long boiling step, though the final gbegiri may be slightly less smooth.

Do you have to remove the bean skins?

For the smoothest gbegiri, yes. If a few skins remain, the soup will still work, but the texture will be rougher.

What can you use instead of potash in the ewedu?

You can leave it out and cook the leaves a bit longer before blending. The ewedu will still soften, but it won’t have quite the same stretchy texture.

Can you make all three parts ahead of time?

Yes. Cook them up to 2 days ahead and reheat them separately, then serve together so the pepper sauce keeps its fresh edge.