Beans in peanut sauce

🥜 Tender beans simmered in peanut, tomato and mild-spice sauce, with chilli served separately.

Ingredients

• 🫘 250 g dried red or white beans, sorted
• 💧 1.2 L water for cooking beans, plus soaking water to discard
• 🫒 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 🧅 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 🧄 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 🫚 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 🍅 2 ripe tomatoes (about 250 g), chopped
• 🥜 100 g unsweetened peanut paste, preferably no added salt
• 💧 350 ml hot water to thin the peanut paste
• 🌶️ 1 small piri-piri chilli, optional, whole or served separately
• 🌿 1/2 teaspoon paprika, black pepper and fresh coriander
• 🧂 1/2 teaspoon salt, adjust at the end

Preparation

Sort and rinse beans; cover with cold water for 8–12 hours. Drain and discard the soaking water.

Put beans in a large pot with 1.2 L fresh water. Bring to a boil, skim, then cover and simmer 50–70 minutes until tender. Do not add tomato or salt at the start.

Meanwhile, gradually whisk the peanut paste with 350 ml hot water until smooth and fluid.

Heat oil in a pot. Cook onion for 5–7 minutes; add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute without burning.

Add tomatoes and paprika. Cook 8–10 minutes until thick and no longer raw-tasting.

Add drained cooked beans and 250 ml bean cooking liquid. Stir in peanut paste gently.

Simmer uncovered over low heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring the bottom regularly. If too thick, add reserved cooking liquid one ladle at a time.

Add optional piri-piri, season gradually and cook 5 minutes more. Check beans are tender and sauce coats a spoon; finish with coriander.