Boo

Ingredients

Greens

• 800 gcowpea leaves, boo, or spinach as a substitute

Sesame

• 150 gsesame seeds, or 6 tbsp sesame paste

Ash salt

• 2 tbspfiltered wood ash water, or a pinch of bicarbonate of soda

Also

• 1onion, chopped
• 2tomatoes, chopped, optional
• salt
• a little water

To serve

• with kwon, millet or cassava bread
• or with posho

Directions

1. Use only ash from clean untreated hardwood, never from painted or treated timber, charcoal briquettes or rubbish.
2. Use it sparingly, since too much gives a genuinely soapy, unpleasant taste that cannot be corrected. Bicarbonate of soda is the common substitute and does much the same job, and it should be used in the same small quantity.
3. Strip the leaves from the tough stems and discard the stems. Wash them thoroughly in several changes of water, since field greens carry grit. Pounding softens the tough leaves and helps them cook faster and absorb the sauce.
4. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until fragrant and lightly coloured, then grind them. Grind them into a coarse paste, or use ready-made sesame paste. Loosen the sesame paste with a little warm water into a smooth cream before it goes into the pot.
5. Add water gradually and work out every lump. Boil the leaves in a little water with the ash water for ten to fifteen minutes.
6. Use very little water, since the leaves release their own and the dish should be thick rather than soupy. Stir in the loosened sesame paste and simmer for a further fifteen to twenty minutes.
7. Stir regularly and scrape the base, since sesame catches readily. Now the consistency it should reach. Season with salt and taste carefully. Serve it with kwon, the stiff porridge, which is pinched off and used to scoop. It keeps two days refrigerated and it is better the next day.

Technique

• Filtered wood ash water softens the leaves and keeps them green.
• Use only ash from clean untreated wood, filtered through cloth.
• The sesame paste must be loosened with water or it forms lumps.

Substitutions

• Bicarbonate of soda in place of ash water, in the same small quantity.
• Spinach in place of cowpea leaves, which is milder.

Variations

• Made with groundnut paste instead of sesame.
• With smoked fish added.
• Made with a mixture of greens.

History

An Acholi staple of northern Uganda, seasoned with filtered ash water that softens the leaves and deepens the colour.

Frequently asked questions

What is Boo?

Boo is a salad & side from Uganda: cowpea leaves pounded and simmered with sesame paste and ash salt. An Acholi staple of northern Uganda, seasoned with filtered ash water that softens the leaves and deepens the colour.

How long does Boo take to make?

Boo takes 25 min of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Boo?

Yes, within limits. Bicarbonate of soda in place of ash water, in the same small quantity. Spinach in place of cowpea leaves, which is milder.

What is the most important thing to get right in Boo?

Use only ash from clean untreated hardwood, never from painted or treated timber, charcoal briquettes or rubbish.