← Nouns Cooking · West & East African

Ingredients

• 500 g dried honey beans (oloyin) or black-eyed beans, soaked for 4 hours
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 30 g dried red chillies (about ¾ cup), soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 2 Onion, 1 chopped, 1 thinly sliced
• 2 cm piece Ginger, peeled
• 200 ml red palm oil
• 2 tsp Ground crayfish (optional)
• 4 slices soft white bread (agege bread), to serve (optional)

Method

1. Drain the soaked beans, put them in a large pot and cover with plenty of fresh water. Simmer for 1½ hours, topping up with water as needed, until very soft and starting to fall apart.
2. Meanwhile, drain the chillies and blend them with the red pepper, chopped onion and ginger to a coarse paste, adding only a splash of water.
3. Heat the palm oil in a heavy pan over medium heat with the window open, until it thins and lightens in colour, about 5 min. Turn off the heat and let it cool for 2 min.
4. Return the pan to medium-low heat, add the sliced onion and fry for 5 min until dark golden. Stir in the chilli paste and crayfish, if using, and fry gently for 20–25 min, stirring often, until the sauce is deep brown-red and the oil floats on top. Season with salt.
5. Once the beans are soft, let most of the water cook away, season with salt and mash them with a wooden spoon or potato masher until mostly smooth.
6. Spoon the mashed beans into bowls and top generously with the agoyin sauce. Serve with bread or fried plantain.

Tips

• Heating palm oil until it lightens makes a lot of smoke; keep the heat moderate and the kitchen well ventilated, and never leave the pan.
• Crayfish is optional: it adds depth but means the dish is no longer vegan. Bread contains gluten.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Chef Lola's Kitchen 9jafoodie All Nigerian Recipes