Emabhontjisi

Ingredients

Beans

• 500 gdried sugar beans
• water, for soaking
• 1.5 litreswater, for cooking
• 1 teaspoonsalt

To cook

• 2onions, chopped
• 3 tablespoonsoil
• 2tomatoes, chopped
• 1stock cube
• black pepper
• 1 teaspooncurry powder, optional

To serve

• sishwala, stiff maize porridge
• or pap
• a green vegetable relish

Directions

1. Boil them hard for ten minutes to be safe. Never cook them gently from raw without that boil. Rinse the beans and pick out any stones. Cover them with plenty of cold water. Leave them overnight or for eight hours. They swell to about twice their size.
2. Drain them and discard the soaking water. Rinse them thoroughly before cooking. Put the soaked beans in a large pot. Cover them with fresh cold water. Bring it to a full rolling boil. Let it boil hard for ten full minutes. Do not cover the pot or lower the heat.
3. Skim off any foam that rises up. Cooking them through takes longer. Cover the pot partly with a lid. Let them cook for about ninety minutes.
4. Check the water level every half hour. Top it up with hot water if it drops. Add the salt only once the beans are soft. Judging the beans takes a taste. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pan. Add the chopped onions to the oil. Cook them for about eight minutes until soft.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes to it. Cook them down for about six minutes. Crumble the stock cube into it. Add the curry powder if using it. Add the cooked beans with some liquid.
6. Stir them through the onion base. Mash some of them against the pan. Let it simmer for about ten minutes. Season it with salt and black pepper. It should be thick rather than soupy. Add hot water if it has gone too thick. Cook it uncovered a while if it is loose.
7. Taste it and adjust the salt to suit. Serving it is done hot beside sishwala. Pinch off a piece and roll it in your palm. Press a hollow into it with your thumb. Use that hollow to scoop up the beans. It keeps four days refrigerated.

Technique

• Sugar beans are a variety of Phaseolus vulgaris, the same species as the kidney bean, and so contain the lectin phytohaemagglutinin at lower levels.
• Boiling them hard for ten full minutes removes the question entirely and costs nothing, so it is worth doing even though the levels are lower than in red kidney beans.
• The thickened bean cooking liquid is part of the dish and should not be drained away.

Substitutions

• Pinto or borlotti beans are closely related and cook the same way.
• Tinned sugar beans are already fully cooked and safe, though the liquid is less flavourful.

Variations

• Some households add curry powder for a spicier relish.
• A version cooked with peanut butter stirred through is made in some homes.
• Beans are eaten with sishwala across Eswatini as the everyday plate.

History

Beans are the everyday relish in Swazi homesteads, cooked in quantity and eaten with stiff maize porridge.

Frequently asked questions

What is Emabhontjisi?

Emabhontjisi is a salad & side from Eswatini: sugar beans stewed soft with onion, served beside sishwala. Beans are the everyday relish in Swazi homesteads, cooked in quantity and eaten with stiff maize porridge.

How long does Emabhontjisi take to make?

Emabhontjisi takes 15 minutes plus soaking of preparation and 1 hour 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Emabhontjisi?

Yes, within limits. Pinto or borlotti beans are closely related and cook the same way. Tinned sugar beans are already fully cooked and safe, though the liquid is less flavourful.

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

Boil them hard for ten minutes to be safe. Never cook them gently from raw without that boil. Rinse the beans and pick out any stones. Cover them with plenty of cold water. Leave them overnight or for eight hours. They swell to about twice their size.