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Vegetarian, Africa and overseas

Ewa agoyin with bread

Ewa agoyin is a Nigerian dish of mashed white beans served with a sauce of peppers, tomatoes, onions and chili fried for a long time, alongside bread. It takes 70 minutes for 4 people, at an easy level and €1.40 per serving. The key to getting it right is frying the sauce until it darkens and the oil rises back to the surface.

Tonight we're heading to Nigeria with ewa agoyin, soft mashed beans served with a spicy pepper and fried onion sauce, and bread.

Ewa agoyin with bread
Total time
1 h 10
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€1.40
Calories per person
660 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Ewa agoyin plays on two textures that work together, soft mashed white beans on one side, a thick, slightly scorched pepper sauce on the other. That grilled, almost smoky taste comes from a long, patient fry, it's the real signature of the dish. The golden fried onion on top adds one last bit of crunch before you scoop everything up with bread.

This is an everyday dish that takes some time but almost no active watching. It works well for a weeknight dinner when you want to cook without stress, and kids tend to like it too, dipping their bread into a sauce that isn't too spicy once you remove the chili seeds. It's also easy to make for guests who are curious to try a different cuisine.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Canned white beansoften in the pantry 3 can
  • Oiloften in the pantry 10 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Red bell peppers 3
  • Onion 3
  • Chili pepper 2
  • Tomatoes 2

Bakery

  • Baguette 2

Allergens Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Drain and rinse the beans, heat them in a saucepan with a little water and a pinch of salt. 15 min

    Mash them coarsely with a fork afterward, they should stay a bit textured.

  2. Mash the beans with a fork or a pestle until you get a rustic puree.

    Add a little hot water if it's too dry.

  3. Blend the seeded bell peppers, tomatoes, two onions and the chili.

    Seed the peppers well to avoid bitterness.

  4. Heat the oil in a large skillet, pour in the sauce and let it fry for a long time, stirring, until it darkens and the oil rises back up. 30 min

    Lower the heat toward the end of cooking, it burns fast.

  5. Thinly slice the last onion, fry it separately until well golden, and serve everything with the baguette. 8 min

    Keep the golden onion on top of the plates.

Our tips to get it right

  • Don't rush the sauce, the last ten minutes over low heat are what build that signature grilled flavor.
  • Use a wide skillet rather than a narrow saucepan so the liquid in the sauce evaporates faster and the oil rises properly to the surface.
  • Taste the bean mash before serving, loosen it with a bit of hot water if it has thickened too much as it cooled.

The variations

  • Swap the canned white beans for dried beans cooked the day before, the result is a bit silkier.
  • For a quicker version, blend the sauce more coarsely and cut the frying time to 15 minutes, the flavor will be less smoky but still good.
  • For kids sensitive to spice, remove the chili seeds entirely or replace the chili with a small extra handful of pepper.

What to serve it with

  • Fresh bread or warm baguette
  • Hot ginger tea
  • Sliced avocado on the side

Storage

The bean mash and the sauce keep for 3 days in the fridge, in two separate sealed containers. Both freeze well for up to 2 months. Reheat gently in a saucepan with a splash of water, and warm or refresh the bread separately.

Questions about this dish

Can you use a different bean instead of white beans?

Yes, black eyed peas are the traditional choice for this dish and give a result closer to the original. Canned white beans stay a practical and accessible alternative.

Why does the sauce need to fry for so long?

A long fry evaporates the water from the vegetables and lightly caramelizes the sauce, giving it its typical grilled taste. It's also what makes the oil rise back to the surface, the sign that the sauce is ready.

Can this dish be made ahead?

Yes, the bean mash and the sauce can be made a day ahead and reheat easily. The fried onion is best made just before serving so it stays crunchy.

Is this dish very spicy?

The spice level mostly depends on the chilies and their seeds. Remove the seeds or cut back on the chili for a milder version that works well for kids.

How long does it take to make an ewa agoyin with bread?

Count 1 h 10 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in an ewa agoyin with bread?

About 660 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does an ewa agoyin with bread cost?

About €1.40 per serving, or €5.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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