Name: Nigerian Beans Recipe (Ewa Riro)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Ingredients: 3-4 cups honey beans/black eyed beans (cleaned and washed); ½ -1 can of plum tomato; ½-1 onion (chopped thinly); 1-2 scotch bonnet; salt to taste; 1-2 Knorr chicken seasoning cubes; 3-5 tbsp of palm oil

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This delicious tomato-based Nigerian beans recipe (ewa riro) is a stewed beans dish that will provide warmth and comfort. This dish is packed with protein and filled with flavor! Serve as a main or side.

Nigerian beans, ewa riro or stewed beans

Table of Contents

The Best Kind of Beans

This is the ultimate source of enrichment and nourishment that the whole family can enjoy. Here at Sims Home Kitchen, we love investing in flexible, economical meals that can be had alone or with an addition of delectable sides.

Stewed beans, also known as beans porridge, is a Nigerian delicacy. The most traditional beans used for this dish are black-eyed beans and Nigerian honey beans, but you can take your pick between the two.

Health Benefits of Beans

If you’re no stranger to Sims Home Kitchen, then you’ll know how often our recipes include beans. There is a good reason for that! It turns out, beans offer many different health benefits and are one of the richest sources of protein on the planet.

Aside from protein, beans also contain a lot of:

Antioxidants
Folate
Iron
Fiber
Vitamins that can reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease

A handful of beans per day should be a staple in everybody’s diet. While there are other sources of protein out there, beans should always be considered as one of the most health-conscious choices.

Ewa Oloyin

Ewa oloyin in English is sweet beans. Our ewa recipe, also known as ewa riro, is a very simple beans porridge meal that can be made in a single pot. Using beans, onions, and peppers, you can create a wonderful mix of flavours that will give you comfort after a long day.

How to Clean Honey Beans

Pour dry beans onto a tray and pick out any excess dirt or stones. This step is really important because you don’t want to bite into a stone! Then, rinse the beans 2-3 times.

Main Ingredients in Nigerian Beans Recipe (Ewa Riro)

One thing I love about this recipe is that you do not need many ingredients to make it. It also does not require much cooking. All you have to do is add a few ingredients to a pot, stir everything together and check it from time to time and add water if necessary.

Beans – as mentioned above you should use honey beans or black eyed beans for this recipe.
Onions – Use white onions for this recipe. Chop or dice the onions as thinly as possible so that they disappear.
Knorr chicken seasoning cubes – Chicken seasoning cubes are added to a lot of Nigerian dishes and most Nigerians have this ingredient in their cupboard. Add a 1-2 cubes to add a burst of savoury flavour!
Salt to taste – Add salt to taste but do not add too much if you are using chicken stock seasoning.
Oil – to cook the beans.

There are lots of different way to cook ewa riro so I am sharing two methods for you to choose from.

Methods in Cooking Beans

How to Cook Beans with Tomatoes

This method is considered more traditional and includes a richer tomato base.

Start by adding 3-4 cups of cleaned and washed beans to a medium saucepan. Pour water into the beans (about two centimeters above the beans) and cook for 15-20 minutes or until soft.
Meanwhile, add ½ -1 can of plum tomato, ½-1 onion and 1 scotch bonnet to a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour the blended mixture into the saucepan, add 3-5 tbsp of palm oil, salt to taste and 1-2 Knorr chicken seasoning cubes. Stir it all together and cook for 15-30 minutes or until done. Make sure you check the beans and stir it every 5-7 minutes to make sure that is does not burn and add water if necessary.

NB: If you want to add more flavour to this dish then feel free to add 1 tbsp of ground dried crayfish when pouring in the tomato blend.

How to Make a Quick Ewa Riro

This recipe can be used if you don’t have palm oil or are short on time. The results are just as delicious!

Add 3-4 cups of washed beans to a medium saucepan. Pour water into the beans (about two centimetres above the beans), add ½ of a thinly chopped onion and cook for 15-20 minutes or until soft.
Then, add a 3-5 tbsp of vegetable oil, salt to taste, ½-1 cup of water, 1-2 Knorr chicken seasoning cubes, 2-3 tbsp of tomato puree and pepper to taste (dried spicy red peppers are usually the pepper of choice in this recipe). Stir it all together and cook for 15-30 minutes or until done. Make sure you check the beans and stir it every 5-7 minutes to make sure that is does not burn and add water if necessary.

What to serve with ewa riro?

Ewa riro can be served as a main or side. It is usually eaten by alone or it is served with garri, plantain, agege bread (my favourite) or yam.

When to serve ewa riro?

Another great thing about ewa riro is that it can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Storage

Ewa riro can be stored in an air tight container and refrigerated for 3-4 days. You can also freeze ewa for up to 3 months.

Thanks for reading this recipe, comment below if you made this and let me know how it went! Follow @simshomekitchen on Instagram, take a photo, tag and hashtag it with @simshomekitchen.

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