Beans is a proteinous food loved mostly by people from western part of Nigeria (Yorubas ). It can be prepared into porridge, mixed rice and beans,moi-moi,akara and bean soup. You can cook beans porridge with plantain, cocoyam,yam, sweet or Irish potatoes. I could remember my mum always forcing us to eat beans when we were much younger; but we won’t eat it but rather sit down, looking at the food with frowned faces and sucking out the oily water from it, forthe beans, we dare not eat. Itwasn’t that the food was not tasty, but because it swells our tommy whenever we eat itand we were ignorant of how important beans was to our health as kids. It doesn’t really mean that I love eating beans now, my reason for writting about it is because I know a better way ofprepare it without it causing one to fart(mess or pollute),belch and without causing unecessary heart burns, which might be of help to you too and so you could include it in your menu for the sake of your kids.

Ingredients for cooking beans porridge

• 4 Cups of brown or black eye beans(iron beans)
• 3 Seasoning cubes
• 20cl palm oil
• Garlic powder (optional)
• A little Crayfish (optional)
• Traditional seasoning ingredients (okpei/dadawa) (optional)
• 1 large onion
• Pepper
• Salt to taste

Already selected and washed beans, about to be cooked

Methods of cooking beans without it causing stomach upset.

1. After hand picking the beans, wash up to 4 times with cold water and boil with a little edible potash (Kanwa) – the potash helps to destroy the chemical which was used to store the beans which could cause stomach upset and heart burn (if you are the type that reacts to potash, skip this method and carry out the second method).
2. Wash the bean 1- 2 times, then boil it for about 10-15 minutes, not more than that to reserve the nutrient in it, put it off from heat and drain the blackish water out, rinse with cold water and add a new water (the right quantity of water to cover the beans) to it, then cook it till it’s completely soften. After carrying out any of the above methods, I assure you that you will enjoy your beans porridge without experiencing stomach upset.

Bean in a cooking process

Bean is being drained of its blackish water after 10 minutes of being cooked

Steps on how to cook beans porridge

1. While the bean is steal on heat, you can peel and cut your potatoes or yam into smaller cubes and keep aside, if you are using any
2. Make sure you check the bean from time to time to see if it is soft by pressing one seed against your fingers. if the water goes down and the beans ist still not soft add more water to it till it is soft.
3. When the beans is completely soften,add the seasoning cubes, garlic,crayfish, onion, pepper and the diced potatoes and cover to cook till the potatoes are soft too
4. Add palm oil and salt, stir and allow itto boil for about 10 minutes on a medium heat, to reduce the water in it.
5. Finally put off the heat and serve with boiled yam, potatoes or plantain. if you did not mix any of it with the beans to cook.

Procedures For making beans porridge

1. Cook your bean for 5-10 minutestill the dark liquid comes out. Filter the first water and add more to it and cook till completely soften.

Almost soft beans

2. When bean is soft, season with onions, pepper, crayfish, garlic, some cubes and salt and stir well to combine.

Beans porridge that is seasoned with ingredients

3. Add palm oil, stir and taste for ingredients and adjust if need be.

Palm oil being added to the porridge

4. Stir and cover beans, leave to seat on a medium heat, untill most of the liquid evaporates leaving just a little liquid in the beans.

Beans porridge being served in a plate

5. Dish into a serving plate and enjoy it when it is warm.