So, I woke up on Sunday with a deep desire to create something warm, comforting, and unforgettable. Quite the ask and task, you might say. However, I was feeling completely dysregulated for a number of complex reasons and I needed something to set me back on the road to calm.

I’m trying to limit the amount of meat I eat during Lent, so it seemed like a natural choice to pull Sabrina Ghayour’s Bazaar from my shelf and thumb through until I found a recipe to satisfy this craving. It did look rather perfect: spices, beans, tomato, what’s not to love?

It was indeed nice. However, I think I may have made it too thin; it would have benefited from being a little thicker. I’m used to eating a version of ‘jollof beans’ that has a deeply satisfying depth of flavor and texture that feels like home. We used to mash the black-eye beans, sometimes add potatoes, and make it with a tomato sauce mixture not dissimilar to that of jollof, so of course it was delicious.

I know I shouldn’t compare the two, but it’s difficult not to. For all of my childhood and much of my adult life, this is how I have eaten black-eyed beans. I guess I just have to train my palate and brain to embrace different flavors and textures.

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon chilii flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes (reserve the liquid from one can, drain the second can)
• 2 x 400g cans black-eyed beans, drained and rinsed
• Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Heat enough olive oil to coat the base of a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions and cook for 6-8 minutes until softened and translucent.
2. Stir in the sliced garlic cloves and cook for a few more minutes until softened.
3. Add the chilli flakes, ground cinnamon, smoked paprika, ground cumin, cocoa powder, and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.
4. Mix in the chopped tomatoes. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover the pan with a lid, and cook slowly for 30 minutes, or until the tomato mixture has thickened into a sauce.
5. Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Stir in the drained black-eyed beans. If the stew is too thick, use some of the reserved tomato liquid to loosen the sauce.
6. Cook for 15–20 minutes to warm the beans through and allow them to absorb the flavours of the spices. Serve hot.

This versatile stew can be enjoyed on its own, with crusty bread, or even served over rice. Leftovers make a great topping for toast, perhaps crowned with an egg for a hearty breakfast. 

Reference: Bazaar, Vibrant Vegetarian Recipes, Sabrina Ghayour, page 120