Ekuru is a comforting Yoruban staple food made from peeled black-eyed beans. Here Joké Bakare serves it with a quick pumpkin seed pestou and a generous amount of fiery Scotch bonnet hot sauce. The pumpkin seed pestou would also be delicious over grilled fish, soups or plain rice.
Soak the beans in the water overnight
The next day, add the onions to a pan, and cover with vegetable oil. Cook very slowly over a low heat for 1 hour
Blitz the coriander and pumpkin seeds together in a food processor until roughly chopped. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and set aside
Drain the beans, then blend them with 30g of the slow-cooked onion and egusi until smooth
Mix the beans with the vegetable oil, stock, salt, Penja pepper and baking powder. Whisk for 5 minutes to aerate it. Pour into 4 small greased and lined, rectangular heat-proof moulds
Steam the ekuru for 45 mins. Allow to cool slightly, then remove from moulds
When ready to serve, heat up a little bit of vegetable oil in a pan and fry the ekuru on all sides so that it's nice and crispy
Serve the ekuru topped with the pumpkin seed pestou, and with a side of Scotch bonnet hot sauce
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