Quick Answer: Ewa Riro (Nigerian Stewed Beans) is a delicious, soft porridge made from brown or honey beans cooked with palm oil, onions, crayfish, and blended peppers. To cook it, boil the picked and washed beans until soft (approx. 45 minutes), mash them slightly to create a thick sauce, stir in a fried palm oil and pepper base, and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Garnish with scent leaves and serve with fried plantains (Dodo). Read on for the full recipe.
Introduction: The Ultimate Comfort Food
Ewa Riro is a staple food in Nigeria, loved for its savory, sweet, and comforting flavor profile. The key to perfect Ewa Riro is using sweet honey beans (Oloyin) or brown beans. Unlike black beans or kidney beans, these West African bean varieties have a thin skin and a naturally sweet, creamy flesh that breaks down during boiling to form a rich, thick porridge without requiring artificial thickeners.
Ingredients Checklist
- 3 cups of Nigerian Brown Beans
- 1/2 cup of pure Red Palm Oil
- 1 large red onion (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons of ground dry crayfish
- Blended pepper base (2 red bell peppers, 2 habaneros, 1 onion)
- 1 dry fish (cleaned and de-boned)
- Salt and bouillon to taste
Step-by-Step Cooking Guide
- Boil the Beans: Wash the picked beans thoroughly. Place in a pot with chopped onions and cover with plenty of water. Boil on medium heat for 45-50 minutes until the beans are soft enough to squash between your fingers. Do not add salt at this stage, as salt hardens the beans and doubles cooking time.
- Prepare the Pepper Base: In a separate pot, heat the palm oil. Fry the remaining chopped onions, then add the blended pepper mix, crayfish, and dry fish. Cook for 10 minutes until the oil floats to the top.
- Combine and Mash: Pour the fried pepper base into the cooked beans. Stir thoroughly. Add salt and bouillon to taste. Use your wooden spoon to mash a portion of the beans against the sides of the pot to thicken the sauce.
- Simmer: Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes until the beans absorb the spices and palm oil. Serve warm with fried ripe plantains or bread.
Order clean Staple Grains & Beans online. Discover more about legume nutrition on WebMD’s Guide to Beans.