Ewa Agoyin (Mashed Beans with Spicy Pepper Sauce)
In short: Soft, mashed beans served under a dark, smoky sauce of palm oil, caramelized onions and dried chili, a Lagos street food eaten with bread. It takes about 1 h 45 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 1 h 30 min
- Resting
- 8 h
- Total
- 1 h 45 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 430 kcal
Ewa agoyin is the Lagos street food made for bean lovers. Brown beans are cooked until they fall apart, mashed into a soft porridge and ladled into a bowl with a spoonful of dark, smoky pepper sauce on top. The sauce is made by frying onions in very hot oil until nearly black, then adding dried chili. It is eaten with soft bread or fried plantain.
Instructions
- Soak the beans in plenty of cold water overnight, about 8 hours. Drain and rinse.
- Put the beans in a large pot with the baking soda and 1.5 liters (6 cups) of fresh water. Bring to a boil, then simmer partly covered for 60 to 75 minutes, until the beans collapse when pressed. Add the salt in the last 15 minutes.
- Pour off most of the cooking liquid, leaving about 100 ml (scant 1/2 cup). Mash the beans with a potato masher until mostly smooth, leaving a little texture. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring, until thick like porridge. Keep warm.
- For the sauce, heat the palm oil in a heavy pan over medium heat for 5 minutes until very hot. Add the onions carefully, as they will sputter.
- Fry the onions for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often, until deep brown at the edges, soft and almost jammy. Do not let the oil smoke heavily.
- Stir in the chili flakes, scotch bonnets and salt and cook for 5 minutes more. Spoon the beans into bowls, top with the hot sauce and serve with bread or fried plantain.
Tips
- The dark, smoky flavor of the sauce is the whole point. Let the onions brown deeply, but pull the pan off the heat if they begin to taste bitter.
- A pressure cooker softens soaked beans in about 20 minutes. Mash them straight in the pot after releasing the pressure.
Questions and answers
What beans are used for ewa agoyin?
Nigerian cooks use honey beans or brown beans. Black-eyed peas or small brown beans are good substitutes abroad.
Is ewa agoyin very spicy?
The sauce is usually hot, but you control it. Use one scotch bonnet and fewer chili flakes for a milder bowl.
Can I store the sauce?
Yes. The sauce keeps in the fridge for 5 days and reheats well. The mashed beans are best the day they are made but also freeze for 2 months.
How long does it take to make Ewa Agoyin (Mashed Beans with Spicy Pepper Sauce)?
About 1 h 45 min in total: 15 min of preparation and 1 h 30 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Ewa Agoyin (Mashed Beans with Spicy Pepper Sauce)?
About 430 kcal per serving, with 16 g of protein, 48 g of carbohydrates and 20 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 430 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 16 g |
| Carbohydrates | 48 g |
| Fat | 20 g |
| Fiber | 14 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Sodium | 580 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
