Babenda
Babenda is a common Burkanabe stew made from leafy greens and grains such as broken rice. Fermented locust beans give the dish a unique flavour.
Servings 2
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp roasted peanuts
- 2 tbsp fermented locust beans
- 150 mL rice
- 140 g or 1 bunch leafy greens, e.g. spinach
- 1-2 scallions
- ¼-½ scotch bonnet, or other chili to taste optional
- 2 tsp neutral oil optional
- ½ tsp salt to taste
- 400-500 mL water
Instructions
- Blend rice with a bit of the water. The rice grains should be roughly cut in half or smaller. Set aside (preserve the water)
- Blend peanuts with a bit of the water. The peanuts should be quite fine. Set aside (preserve the water)
- Grind the fermented locust beans. You can add water if needed. The beans should be about half size or smaller.
- Slice the scallion and tear the leaves into smaller chunks.
- Deseed the chili if you prefer.
- Add all ingredients to a large pot. Bring to a boil.
- Let simmer for ~20 minutes until the rice is mushy and has absorbed most of the water. Stir to avoid burning and add more water if needed. I ended up using 500 mL water in total (including the preserved water from blending).