African Black Beans Stew

Tasty and satisfying bean stew flavored with garlic, ginger, and onions, then intensified with crayfish for ultimate comfort food. Few dishes satisfy like beans cooked African style.

Course Main, Sides

Cuisine African

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 50

Servings

Calories 474kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

1 pound (450g) dried beans or four 14.5-ounce cans of beans
¼-½ cup (60-120ml) palm oil or canola oil
1 medium onion
2 tomatoes
1 tablespoon (15g) grated ginger optional
½ tablespoon (7-8g) minced garlic
1 tablespoon (8-9g) paprika
1 tablespoon (10g) Maggie bouillon powder (optional)
½ pound (28-30g) smoked turkey or chicken
⅓-½ cup (12-20g) dried ground crayfish
2-3 cups (470-700ml) stock or water
1 scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

If using canned beans, skip to step #3. For dried black beans, rinse them, picking through and discarding any foreign objects. Add them to a large pot, covering them with 3-4 inches of cold water. Cover and soak them overnight or for 6-8 hours.
Drain the soaked beans, rinse them, and place them in a Dutch oven or pressure cooker (following the manufacturer's instructions). Simmer for 1-1½ hours on the stovetop or roughly 8-12 minutes in the pressure cooker.
Drain the cooked beans and set aside, or open your canned beans and drain them.
Heat the palm (or canola) oil in a large saucepan over medium until hot. Sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes, stirring often and scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
Add tomatoes, ginger, garlic, paprika, and Maggie (bouillon powder), and cook, stirring, for about 60 seconds.
Toss in the smoked meat and crayfish and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add stock (or water) as needed to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning. Continue cooking the sauce, stirring occasionally.
Finally, add the beans and the remaining stock, bring to a boil, and simmer until all the flavors come together (about 15 minutes).
Adjust for seasonings and serve warm.

Notes

Beans cooked to their ideal consistency are a bit firm yet tender and meaty. Sautéed in palm or canola oil with onions, tomatoes, meat (optional), and salt makes them nutritious, delicious, and economical.
Crayfish should be dried and ground. This common West African ingredient adds a unique, seafood-like depth to the dish. Make sure it's good quality, which means it has a clean, fresh smell and isn't overly salty or fishy.
Red palm oil is NOT the same as processed palm oil that's causing so much controversy. You'll find the good stuff in African and Brazilian ethnic stores or on Amazon. You can replace it with canola oil, but the flavor will lose some of its authenticity.
Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition