Ewa Riro (Nigerian Stewed Beans)

1. In a large pot, cover beans with cold water by at least 2 inches. Cover and leave to soak for at least 4 and up to 12 hours.

2. Drain the beans, then rinse with cold water. Return to pot, top with at least 2 inches of fresh cold water, and stir in 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until beans are soft enough to squish between your fingers but still retain their shape, about 1 hour (note that cooking times can vary depending on age and source of beans); top up with additional boiling water at any point if level gets too low. Drain beans, reserving the cooking liquid, and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, process the roughly chopped onions, shepherd or bell peppers, tomatoes, and 1/2 cup (120ml) water on high until a smooth puree forms, stopping to scrape down sides as necessary. Set vegetable purée aside.

4. In a large heavy-bottomed pan, heat palm oil over medium to high heat until lightly smoking and fragrant. Add thinly sliced onion, season generously with salt, and cook, stirring often, until onion is softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/3 cup ground crayfish, if using, and continue to cook, stirring, until aromatic and the crayfish fries slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Add Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper (if using whole, add the entire pepper; if using minced, start with 1/4 teaspoon, then add more to taste). Continue to cook, stirring often, until chile pepper has softened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Stir in reserved vegetable purée, then increase heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium, partially cover, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly and a light web of oil droplets form on the surface, about 10 minutes.

7. Stir in cooked beans and the remaining 1/3 cup ground crayfish, if using; cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Season with salt and red dry pepper, if desired.

8. At this point, you can either continue to the next step, or, if a thicker texture is desired, use a wooden spoon to mash some of the beans against the side of the pot or an immersion blender to purée a portion of the beans; how much you mash or purée, if it all, will determine how creamy the final dish is.

9. Continue to cook, covered, stirring and scraping the bottom every once or twice to prevent scorching, until the stew thickens some more and begins to dry at the bottom, about 20 minutes. (If you prefer the beans looser, either don't cook for as long or stir in some of the reserved bean liquid in 1/4 cup increments until you reach your desired consistency). Remove from heat and let stand to allow flavors to develop, about 10 minutes, then serve.

Special Equipment

Food processor or countertop blender

Notes

For the beans:

• If you don’t have time to soak the beans overnight, use this quick-soak method: Put the rinsed beans in a large pot, add enough water to cover by a couple inches, and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Drain, rinse, then continue by cooking beans as directed.
• For a quicker method, drained and rinsed canned black-eyed peas can be used instead of dried. You’ll need three 15-ounce cans to replace the dried beans called for i this recipe.    
• Feel free to substitute other cowpeas or other types of beans such as navy beans or cannellini
• Red shepherd peppers are sweet, long, thin-skinned Italian peppers, similar to Nigerian tatashe peppers. They have great flavor and bring a deep red color to jollof rice. If you can't find them, red bell peppers can be used instead.

Ground crayfish is made from krill, shrimps, and small prawns that are often sun-dried and smoked. You can find it whole or ground in many West African stores and online. You can replace ground crayfish with an equal volume of dried prawns or shrimp, which are available in Chinese or Asian markets. 

While not traditional, you can substitute the fermented, smoky, seafood essence of crayfish with  ground katsuobushi or bonito flakes or nori flakes—they add a different but enjoyable flavor if you don't have the ground crayfish available. If using one of these other ingredients, start with half the amount of crayfish, and adjust to taste.

Nigerian red dry pepper is made from ground chiles. Cayenne pepper is the closest substitute. You can also use chile flakes, gochugaru, or other ground chiles you like.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make the plain beans up to 3 days ahead, separating the cooked beans from the bean liquid. Refrigerate both for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen.

Refrigerate the cooked, stewed beans in airtight containers for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.