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Aboboi
Aboboi: Accra's creamy Bambara beans in palm oil, pepper and onion, sprinkled with gari
Bambara beans, round and speckled, are one of West Africa's oldest crops, and in Accra they become aboboi: simmered for a long time until creamy, then finished in red palm oil fried with onion and pepper. Street sellers dish it out in the evening, often with gari sprinkled on top for crunch and sometimes with fried fish; this version keeps it meat-free and lets the earthy, chestnut-like beans shine. It is filling, protein-rich and costs little. Dried Bambara beans are sold in African and Asian shops; black-eyed beans cook faster if you cannot find them. Don't add salt before the beans are soft, or the skins stay hard however long they cook. Chef's tip: soak the beans overnight and use a pressure cooker if you have one, as unsoaked Bambara beans can take three hours and still stay hard, which is the most common disappointment.
- Total time
- 125 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the beans
- 14 oz dried Bambara beanssoaked in plenty of water for 12 hours; or black-eyed beans
- 8 ¼ cups wateras needed
- 1 tsp salt
For the palm-oil sauce
- 5 tbsp red palm oil
- 1 onionchopped
- 1 scotch bonnet chillifinely chopped
- 2 tomatoeschopped
- ⅓ oz fresh gingergrated
To serve
- 2 ⅛ oz gari (optional)for sprinkling
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain the soaked 14 oz dried Bambara beans, put them in a large pot with 8 ¼ cups water and bring to the boil. Skim off the foam.
10 minStep 2: Simmer, partly covered, topping up with hot water as needed, until the beans are completely soft and crush easily against the side of the pot. In a pressure cooker this takes about 40 minutes.
90 minStep 3: Add 1 tsp salt and let the beans simmer for 5 minutes more, then crush a few with the spoon so the liquid turns creamy. The beans should be thick and saucy, not soupy.
5 minStep 4: In a frying pan, warm 5 tbsp red palm oil over a medium heat for 1 minute. Add 1 onion, ⅓ oz fresh ginger and 1 scotch bonnet chilli and fry until soft, then add 2 tomatoes and cook until it breaks down.
8 minStep 5: Stir the sauce into the beans and simmer together for 5 minutes. Serve in bowls with 2 ⅛ oz gari sprinkled over just before eating.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 21 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 13 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does aboboi take?
- About 125 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 110 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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