Nigerian greens and beans
Nigerian greens and beans is a healthy nutrient-dense combination of greens and beans.
Ingredients
- 1 cup beans (black eyed beans)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 small onion (1/4 cup chopped)
- 2 scotch bonnet (fresh pepper)
- 4 small whole tomatoes (1 cup chopped)
- small scent leaf (10-15 leaves*)
- 1 seasoning cube
- salt
Instructions
- Pick through the beans, wash and place beans in a pot.
- Add a few slices of the onions and enough water to cover it well.
- Boil over medium-high heat adding water a little at a time until beans are tender but not breaking apart.
- There shouldn't be much water remaining at the stage when the beans are tender so be careful when adding extra water. If there is still water, drain and set aside.
- While the beans are cooking, pick and wash greens and scent leaf.
- Shred each finely and set aside.
- Chop onions and pepper then chop tomatoes into large chunks.
- In a dry saucepan or pot, pour vegetable oil and when hot, add onions and salt, fry until soft.
- Add pepper and tomato, add scent leaves and cook until scent leaf has wilted and tomato has softened.
- Add seasoning cube and beans, stir well.
- Add greens and 2 tablespoons of the beans cooking liquid, cover and lower the heat.
- Cook for about 3 minutes, stir gently and cover.
- Continue cooking until greens have softened but not mushy about 5-10 minutes.
- Serve your very comforting and healthy Nigerian Greens and beans.
Notes
- *Replace scent leaf with any herb of your choice.
- Ground crayfish can be added to it.
- If you want your beans very soft yet not broken up and mushy, add some akanwu (Kaun), boil for 5 minutes and take off the heat. Drain the water out and add fresh water, cook as usual.
- Beans contain a poisonous plant lectin, so always boil beans well, even if you want to use a slow cooker, be sure to bring it to a boil and boil for a minimum of 10 minutes before reducing the heat.
- You can use a pressure pot to cook your beans to cut down on cooking time.
