HOW TO PREPARE BAMBARA BEANS - A QUICK CASSOULET RECIPE

Bambara nuts or beans originates from the Bambara people of West Africa.

‘Bambara’ means ‘unbeliever’ as history dictates the ethnic group resisted  Islam when it was introduced in 1854 by Tukulor conqueror, El had Umar Tal.

The Bambara ethnic group are spread across West Africa ( in countries such as Guinea, Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso) particularly now in Mali where they make up the majority of the  Mande ethnic group.

Bambara pods ripens underground (just like Peanuts), hence they’re referred to as nuts, even though it’s popularly known as Bambara Beans.

Bambara beans / nuts do have a high protein content and it’s perfect to enjoy as a snack or a meal. In Ghana, Bambara Beans are slow cooked with the inclusion of sugar, spices and served with a spicy Plantain Pancake known as Tatale.

INGREDIENTS

300g of Bambara nuts

250g of Smoky Spicy Salsa (Raw Pepper)

5 Pettie Belle Chillies or any Green Chillies

3 strands of Grains of Selim or Star Anise

20g of sliced Ginger

2.25 litres of water or Chicken stock

3 Bay leaves

6 Chipolatas or any Sausage that’s available to you. Better still try using Goat Meat.

2 tablespoonful of Olive oil

2 tablespoonful of Coconut oil

1 teaspoonful of blended Green chillies, Onion and Garlic.

1 teaspoonful of a Ginger, Onion and Aniseed blend.

1 teaspoonful of Thyme or 4 leaves of Ghanaian Basil

1 thinly sliced Onion

Optional diced charred Red Peppers, Parsley and Mint.

1 teaspoonful of Lime or Lemon juice

Salt to taste

METHOD

Watch how to prepare this creative and easy to follow recipe below including Tatale and other Beans recipes below;

Please don’t forget to subscribe, try the recipe, like the videos and share with family and friends. All photos, recipes and videos are by the owner of this blog.

GRILLED RED SNAPPER & ROSEMARY

Freshly caught Red Snapper, fried and served with a Tomato and Onion salad is my idea of  bliss on earth , especially when polished  off with a glass of chilled Palm wine or White wine. 

 

Most evenings in Ghana, freshly fried Red snappers are displayed amongst other fishes by Kenkey sellers across the country. 

 Kenkey is made from milled fermented corn which is wrapped in corn husks and steamed to form a pliable dumpling.

KENKEY

Kenkey is best eaten with fried Fish or Seafood with a spicy tomato salsa (raw pepper) and black chilli sauce (Shito) in Ghana. 

My obsession with this fish is evident especially when I visit Ghana as I'm guaranteed a freshly caught fish. I tend to buy fried Red Snappers in bulk and enjoy it as a snack, much to my Mums annoyance (as she insisted I cut down on the quantity and leave some for cooking later). 

I vividly remember on a holiday to Barbados, I saw a lady clean and gut a large Red snapper (which was freshly caught) , no sooner had I alighted from the car, run to ask how much it was, was I back in the car embarrassed, as she was preparing her dinner and it wasn't for sale. 

However in Khao Lak (Thailand) deeply fried, crisp skinned Red Snapper was the only thing I ordered pretty much everyday with a Ginger dressing.

I'm looking forward to visiting Ghana again this year to indulge in my fish eating habit. 

With my 'slight' obsession you can imagine my 

excitement when I saw this Red snapper at my local fishmongers (knowing it was definitely for sale) and I could indulge myself (without any interruptions).

FRIED RED SNAPPER

After purchasing a few, frying some (all safely eaten), I decided to grill the last one  and incorporate some Rosemary (which pairs perfectly with Red Snapper) and Aniseed for an aromatic flavour. 

Adding the roasted ripened Plantain to this dish is incredible as it lends its sweetness to the Fish. Please ensure the Plantain is not over ripened. The Plantain should have an even yellow colour as shown below;

RIPENED PLANTAIN

Ingredients 

1 large cleaned and gutted fresh Red Snapper

The zest of 1 large Lime.

Slice the remaining Lime into little discs. 

1 teaspoon of Aniseed

20g peeled and chopped fresh Ginger 

3 sprigs of fresh Rosemary

1 medium sized Onion

2 finely diced Green Chillies (optional)

Salt to taste

2 ripened Plantains

 

Method 

Blend the Ginger, Onion, Aniseed and Chilli together to a smooth paste.

Remove the Rosemary leaves from their stalks and finely chop them.

Marinade the fish with the Ginger mix, Rosemary, the zest of the Lime in a baking tray. 

Arrange the Lime discs on top of the fish, as shown above. 

Pre heat your grill to 200*c

Peel your ripened Plantain and cut each in half or lengthways.

Place your fish in the grill together with the Plantain and grill for 23-25 minutes.

ROASTED RIPENED PLANTAIN

 

15 minutes into the cooking time, turn the Plantain on its opposite side for an even cook and grilled marks (for aesthetic purposes).

 

Serve the grilled Red Snapper and Plantain immediately with either the famous Ghanaian black chilli sauce known as Shito or a tomato stew.

Find various stew recipes on my blog and YouTube page. 
This recipe will work well with some hot Amokple (Banku), which is available on my YouTube channel below;

 I love to hear from you, hence try the recipe and leave comments with your feedback. This encourages me to create more recipes as I know you like them. 

 

All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog.