MADESU STEW (RED BEANS STEW)- RECIPE FROM DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 🇨🇩

pork

🥗Healthier: chicken

💰Cheaper: beef

Chicken is leaner and more affordable.

chicken broth

🥗Healthier: vegetable broth

💰Cheaper: water with seasoning

Vegetable broth is lower in calories.

vegetable oil

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Olive oil is healthier while canola is budget-friendly.

cabbage

🥗Healthier: kale

💰Cheaper: collard greens

Kale provides more nutrients, collard greens are less expensive.

Soak the beans in cool water for 10 to 12 hours. Once the soaking time is over, drain the beans and discard the water used to soak them.

In a pot, pour about 6 cups of water to the beans. Add the onion pricked with whole cloves and bay leaves. Over medium heat, boil the beans for 50-60 minutes with the lid on.

Drain the beans with a strainer and discard the onion pricked with whole cloves. Reserve the beans and the liquid in two different bowls (one bowl for the beans and the other for the liquid).

Using a food chopper, crush onion, green onion and garlic.

In a French or Dutch oven, over medium heat, drizzle about one or two tablespoons of olive oil (traditionally peanut oil or any other type of vegetable oil is used to cook Madesu stew) and sauté the onion mixture with the homemade hot pepper paste or the chili flakes if you choose to add them.

After sautéing the onion mixture for 2 minutes, add the crushed tomatoes. Let it cook while stirring for at least 3-4 minutes. Then pour three (3) cups of the reserved liquid used to boil the beans and two (2) cups of boiling water.

Add 2 tablespoons of Ketchup to balance the acidity of the canned tomatoes with the sweetness of the Ketchup.

Add salt and pepper. Optionally, add a vegetable bouillon cube if you used two (2) cups of boiling water or simply use two (2) cups of vegetable broth instead.

Add the boiled beans in the pot and let it cook for 20-25 minutes without the lid or until the sauce has thickened to a stew consistency. Stir from time to time in order to avoid the beans sticking to the bottom. Adjust the seasoning to your liking before turning off the heat.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary