THE MAISON
Yoruba • Southwestern Nigerian Culinary Heritage

Amala with Gbegiri

Yoruba Dark Yam-Flour Swallow & Creamy Bean Soup

Smooth, earthy amala paired with velvety gbegiri bean soup and finished with a restrained spoonful of rich Yoruba pepper stew.

PREPARATION

20 minutes

COOKING

55 minutes

TOTAL TIME

1 hour 15 minutes

SERVES

6 servings

FROM THE MAISON PANTRY

Ingredients

FOR THE GBEGIRI

  • 2 cups peeled black-eyed peas or brown beans
  • 6 cups water, divided and adjusted as needed
  • 1 small onion, roughly chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon food-grade potash, optional
  • ¼ cup natural red palm oil
  • 3 tablespoons ground crayfish, optional
  • 1 tablespoon iru or dawadawa, rinsed
  • 1 habanero pepper, blended or adjusted to taste
  • ½ teaspoon ground Cameroon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon natural bouillon powder, optional
  • 1 teaspoon premium sea salt, adjusted to taste

FOR THE AMALA

  • 3 cups CaMasi Maison™ Elubo Yam Flour
  • 4½–5 cups water, divided and adjusted as needed

FOR SERVING

  • 2 cups prepared Yoruba pepper stew or Classic Nigerian Tomato Stew
  • Cooked beef, goat meat or assorted meat, optional
THE MAISON METHOD

Preparation Method

  1. Prepare the beans: Place the peeled beans in a bowl and rinse repeatedly until the water runs mostly clear. Soak them in warm water for 20 minutes, then drain.
  2. Cook the beans: Transfer the beans to a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the chopped onion, optional food-grade potash and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 30–35 minutes, or until the beans are extremely soft.
  3. Blend the beans: Remove the pot from the heat and allow the beans to cool slightly. Blend them with enough of their cooking liquid to produce a completely smooth purée.
  4. Refine the texture: For an especially silky gbegiri, press the purée through a fine-mesh sieve before returning it to the pot.
  5. Season the gbegiri: Place the bean purée over medium-low heat. Stir in the palm oil, ground crayfish, iru, blended habanero, Cameroon pepper and optional bouillon.
  6. Simmer until creamy: Cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring frequently so the soup does not catch at the bottom. Add some of the remaining water gradually until the gbegiri is smooth, creamy and pourable.
  7. Balance the soup: Season with sea salt to taste. Simmer for another 2 minutes, then remove the gbegiri from the heat and keep it warm.
  8. Boil the amala water: Bring 4½ cups of water to a rolling boil in a clean, heavy-bottomed pot. Reserve an additional ½ cup of hot water for adjusting the consistency.
  9. Begin the amala: Reduce the heat to low. Sprinkle approximately two-thirds of the Elubo Yam Flour gradually into the boiling water while stirring continuously with a sturdy wooden spatula.
  10. Work out the lumps: Stir, press and fold the mixture firmly against the sides of the pot until it becomes smooth and evenly dark brown. Add more flour gradually if the amala is too soft.
  11. Steam the amala: Form a small well in the center, add a few tablespoons of the reserved hot water and cover the pot. Steam over low heat for 3–5 minutes.
  12. Finish the amala: Uncover and work the mixture vigorously until it becomes glossy, stretchy and completely smooth. Add a small amount of hot water if it is too firm.
  13. Shape and serve: Portion the hot amala immediately and shape it into smooth mounds. Serve with the warm gbegiri, a restrained spoonful of pepper stew and cooked meat, if desired.

A NOTE FROM THE MAISON

Maison Notes

Gbegiri should be exceptionally smooth. Cook the beans until they collapse easily, blend thoroughly and pass the purée through a fine-mesh sieve when a more refined texture is desired.
Add water gradually after blending. The finished soup should be creamy and pourable rather than as thick as mashed beans.
Food-grade potash is optional. If used, only a very small amount is needed to help the beans soften; excessive potash can alter the flavor.
Amala firms as it cools. Prepare it slightly softer than your preferred final consistency and serve it immediately.
For the complete Yoruba abula experience, combine the gbegiri with ewedu and finish with pepper stew.

PLEASE NOTE

Allergen Information

Contains shellfish if ground crayfish is used. Bouillon, iru, pepper stew and packaged ingredients may contain additional allergens; check their labels before use. Prepared in a kitchen where other allergens may be present.
FROM THE CAMASI MAISON PANTRY

CaMasi Maison™ Premium Elubo Yam Flour

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