Africa: Niger: Nigerien Dounguouri Soko (Traditional Stewed Beans)
INGREDIENTS:
2 lb lamb , cut into chunks
1 lb white beans
4 onions , chopped
2 green bell peppers , ground
2 red bell peppers , ground
5 tomatoes , peeled, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic
1 cup vegetable oil (or peanut oil)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ teaspoon natron
Salt
Pepper
Mayonnaise
INSTRUCTIONS:
Soak the beans in water overnight and rinse thoroughly.
Mix natron and white beans and boil 45 minutes in plenty of water in a pressure cooker preferably.
Rinse with hot water and drain.
In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil, and brown the meat over medium heat.
Add the onions and chopped peppers and saute for 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and garlic and saute for another 5 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and water, then the beans.
Cook 30 minutes over medium heat, and simmer for 30 minutes over low heat.
When cooked, increase the heat to reduce the sauce if it is too liquid.
This dish should be served with mayonnaise.
NOTES:
To reach perfect tenderness, the beans should not suffer too much of a temperature difference. So after the first step, do not cool and coordinate both steps closely.
