Gbegiri with Rice Balls (Tuwo)
You have seen the Moimoi version, you have also seen the akara version. Both recipes have been tested on our social media platforms with great result. I put the question out to the nation “why do we peel beans” , no one really knows. It’s one of those things we do because we have always done it. It’s a great time to stop peeling beans honestly, it’s laborious , deprives us of essential fiber and ultimately does not affect the dish in anyway.
For those who do not have access to brown beans (Oloyin or drum), you can use black eyed peas. You will notice a little bit of black spots from black eye in your dish but the taste is juts the same. Another great alternative is split chickpeas (widely sold in North America), it’s just as nutritious as beans and doesn’t leave spots.
For the uninitiated, gbegiri is a beans based soup popular among the Yoruba people, it’s often served with Jute soup (Ewedu), Buka Stew and Amala. The soup is also cooked by the Hausa people, it’s called Miyan Wake and typically served with Tuwo Shinkafa .
I am aware a lot of people do not like gbegiri, let me tell you a secret, properly prepared gbegiri is all kinds of delicious. I will even go as far as saying properly prepared gbegiri will rival banga soup. Great gbegiri is velvety, buttery and rich. Iru (locust beans) is extremely important in gbegiri, it adds a lot of depth to the flavor of the soup. Gbegiri should also be slow cooked for the richest texture and flavor. My secret weapon is my slow cooker, I throw the beans in, add water and leave it to cook overnight.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup brown beans (oloyin or Drum)
- 1/4 cup palm oil (about 1 cooking spoon)
- 1 heaped tablespoon Iru (Locust Beans)
- Handful dried de-boned Sawa Fish (or any firm fish)
- 1 teaspoon dried pepper (ata-gigun)
- 1-2 cubes maggi
- Salt to taste
Direction
- Soak the fish in boiling water, cover until softened
- alternatively, boil fish till soft
- Combine the beans with 3 cups of water, cook on low-medium heat until beans in extremely soft (about 1.5 – 2 hours)
- Slow cooker Method: Combine fish, beans and 4 cups water in a slow cooker. Set to high for 8 hours (overnight). remove fish to continue
- Add cooked beans to a blender and puree to a smooth paste
- alternatively, mash the beans with a wooden spoon or use a mashing broom (ijabe)
- Pour the pureed beans into a pan, add in all left over ingredients. Combine and adjust for water based on desired thickness
- Iru (locust beans) can be blended with the beans if prefered
- Simmer for 10 more minutes on low-medium heat
Serve and Enjoy.
Please Can I do this without locust beans?
Dear 9jafoodie,
Thank you for the wonderful job.
I live alone outside our shores and your blog has been of tremendous assistance to me as a man knowing that I will not miss home too much when it comes to food matter.
Gbegiri made from unpeeled beans is such as delicious and good looking (regardless of the type of beans) as it’s peeled counterpart. I don’t usually peel my beans when am making foods that requires it and it has stopped me from enjoying the output. Yoruba has name for moin-moin version of food made with unpeeled beans, it is called “Kuduru” which is also different from “Ekuru” kindly do a little research into it and you will be amazed how beautiful it is too.
May you please help look into getting recipes for some of our traditional foods like “Dele” “Ojojo”, “Ikokore”, “Ebiripo”, “Abari” etc.
Thank you.
Pls can i use black eye beans.
Yes, the color will be slightly different though.
Hello , there , was wondering if you had tried gbegiri soup before with lentils instead of beans since they taste the same .
Hello. I haven’t, I have however tried moimoi and akara. I think it will work in gbegiri as well.
Hi! Definitely, you can. I had lunch yesterday with an Arabian family in their home and they made Lentil soup but without the oil and it tastes just the same as Nigerian Gbegiri!
Good to know!! thank you.
I just tried it and it turns out good and tasty hubby loves it he never eat it before even though he’s also a Nigerian
Awww that’s amazing! thanks for the feedback.
i hate my blender. i think it is ninja. or maybe i am not using it right. Back hom in nigeria, i used to cook a lot (even though i hated kitchen work), but now, its such a hassle for me especially since my little dude doesnt like naija food. I will go back to cooking with a vengeance. Plus your blog is the boom. Will be visiting regularly now.
Do I need to add onions to the beans while cooking it?
No, there is no onion in gbegiri soup.
what type of blender do u use that makes ur blending smooth like this?
I have a kenwood and a Ninja. It’s all about the softness of the beans though and don’t pack in too much at a time.
Your food blog is A-MA-ZING !!!! Keep up the good work!
I’m french and totally falling in love with your cooking and gonna try nigerian food thanks to your food blog! :D Awesome work!!
Thanks Paulina
You always make me hungry whenever I entered into your website
aww :)
Can you use pressure cooker instead?
Yes you can but the texture comes out a little different
Hmmm, Shakirat! Great question! Your unpeeled beans recipes look just fine to me, you cant even tell the difference!
I remember many years ago, i was asked to make some moimoi at home. The beans i needed for it was sooo much! I struggled and only succeeded in peeling half way through and decided to blend the beans that way anyway! When the moimoi was ready, the color was really dark and awful. Since then, i have never tried that stunt!
I guess there must be a reason but until we are sure, we’ve got to keep challenging the status quo like you are doing! :-)
I am going to put my fears aside and try once again. Will let you know how it goes…. Well done and Thanks a bunch!
ho nooo… do try our recipe with brown beans as indicated.
Will sure do dear! Can’t wait! Thanks for the enlightenment!
Woo hoo!! About to cook my beans in the crockpot. Can’t wait! Pls how do u get the Tuwo balls to be round?
Great! There is really no trick to it, I just ball them up and roll them.
you have made us all think there is a trick to food presentation.. lol
Hahahha…. my bad
nice
thanks :)