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Ndambé
Dakar's black-eyed bean stew, stuffed into baguette for breakfast
Ndambé is what Dakar eats for breakfast on the way to work: a thick, peppery stew of black-eyed beans with onion and tomato, sold from pots on street corners and spooned into a split baguette (tapalapa or pain de mie) with a smear of chilli sauce. At home it is just as good with rice or bread for supper. The beans are cooked until some break down and thicken the sauce, so it holds together in the bread. Chef's tip: soak the beans and cook them separately in plain water first; adding the tomato too early keeps the skins tough.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the beans
For the sauce
To serve
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain 9 oz dried black-eyed beans and put them in a pot with 1.2 litres water and 1 bay leaf. Boil hard for 10 minutes, then simmer for 35–45 minutes, until a bean crushes easily between finger and thumb. Keep the cooking water.
50 minStep 2: Meanwhile, warm 4 tbsp groundnut or sunflower oil in a wide pan over a medium heat and cook 2 onions for 10 minutes, until soft and light golden. Add 3 cloves garlic and 1 scotch bonnet or bird's-eye chilli for 1 minute.
11 minStep 3: Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and fry for 2 minutes until it darkens, then add 2 tomatoes and cook until thick and jammy.
6 minStep 4: Tip in the drained beans with 300 ml of their cooking liquid, 1 tsp ground black pepper and 1 tsp salt. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring and pressing some beans against the side of the pan, until the stew is thick enough to sit on a spoon without running. Common mistake: leaving it soupy; it will soak straight through the bread.
15 minStep 5: Stir in 1 tsp white vinegar, taste and adjust the salt. Spoon the hot ndambé generously into 2 baguettes and add a line of 4 tsp chilli sauce if you like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 19 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 12 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ndambé take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 75 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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