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Fermented Oil Beans
Fermented Oil Beans is a traditional Nigerian recipe for a classic method of preparing condiments by boiling and hulling beans before slicing, salting and then allowing to ferment naturally. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Nigerian version of: Fermented Oil Beans.
prep time
20 minutes
cook time
20 minutes
Total Time:
40 minutes
Additional Time:
(+1 week fermenting)
Serves:
8
Rating: 
Tags : Vegetarian RecipesSpice RecipesBean RecipesNigeria Recipes
A number of oil beans are fermented in West Africa to use as a food or flavouring. The fermentation is by bacterial action and dramatically improves the food quality of the beans. Though the recipe given here is applicable to all kinds of beans, I will be using Locust Beans, as an example, to make
dawadawa (also known as iru).
Ingredients:
1kg locust bean seeds (these need to have been dried the outer yellow pericarp removed)
potash
salt
Method:
Wash the beans in a large pot, cover with plenty of water then bring to a boil and cook for about 12 hours. After this time, drain the beans, allow to cool until they can be handled and remove the outer seed coat and hull.
Cut the seeds into slivers then mix in an earthenware pot with potash and salt (about 2 tbsp potash and 10 tbsp salt). Cover with a cloth and set aside in a warm place (near a fire or in direct sunlight) for about 10 hours (this will start the fermentation process).
Take banana or plantain leaves and cut into strips about 15 x 20cm in size. Take about 250g of the bean mixture and place in the centre of the leaf. Fold the leaf about it to form a closed packet then place these either by the fire or in the sun. Allow one week to ferment then unwrap the packets and shape the mixture into spheres about golfball size. Flatten these into cakes and set by the fire to dry.
Once dried the cakes can be stored, or they can be ground into powder for easier use in soups or stews.
In this fermentation process, the bacillus, Bacillus subtilis is the main fermenting agent, though other species of Bacillus and Leuconostoc are also involved.
