This black-eyed pea and sweet potato stew are very comforting. It is a staple in Senegal and is called ndambe.
It is interesting how food plays out in different regions.
I have been making black-eyed pea and sweet potato stew for a while now, thinking I have invented a great meal that fits within my budget. However, I recently found out whiles strolling the cool streets of the world wide web that it is a staple in Senegal.
Huh! there is nothing new under the sun.
The recipe is very basic, we make a tomato based stew, add in the black-eyed beans and the sweet potatoes later. I bake my sweet potatoes and add them to the stew when it is done . But I realised the Senegalese either boil the sweet potatoes before adding them to the stew or add the raw potatoes to the stew earlier to cook.
This is a tomato based stew using black-eyed peas and sweet potatoes.
- 1 cup black-eyed peas/ beans (soaked overnight) You can use can as wel1
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onions chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 bay leaf
- 2-3 tomatoes pureed/ diced
- fresh pepper like scotch bonnet, chili etc as required (minced)
- 1 shrimp stock cube / shrimp powder optional
- freshly ground black pepper plus salt as required
- 1 large sweet potato peeled and cut into bite sizes
-
If using raw beans, soak the beans overnight. When ready, rinse and pour into a saucepan and put on high heat to boil. Add salt at the latter part of cooking when the black-eyed peas are almost soft.
-
Preheat an oven to 375°F or 190°C. Spread the sweet potatoes over a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes till cooked through. The baking time will vary with the sizes of the potatoes.
-
Pour 3 tablespoons of oil into a saucepan. Add the chopped onions. Sauté the onions till translucent. Add the minced ginger. garlic, pepper and bay leaf. Sauté till fragrant. Add chopped or pureed tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
-
Simmer for about 10 minutes, add shrimp stock powder and freshly ground pepper and stir.
-
Add the boiled beans and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes. Taste and check for salt. Serve.