Preparation of Ewa

INGREDIENTS 

• Beans (Brown/Black eyed): 2 cigar cups | approx. 500g
• Red Palm Oil: about 5 cooking spoons
• Plum Tomatoes: 5 big ones
• Crayfish (a handful)
• Onions – 1 big bulb
• Pepper & Salt to taste
• Seasoning – 2 Maggi/Knorr cubes

Procedure

• 
  
• Soak  beans in cold water for 5 hours.
• Boil the beans for 5 minutes and discard the water. 
• Rinse the beans in cold water and set aside. 
• This soaking and pre-cooking process reduces the gas inducing elements. 
• Chop the onions, grind the crayfish and pound the pepper. 
• Blend the tomatoes and boil the tomato puree till all the water has dried from it.
• Pre-cook the diced onions without addition of water to caramelize it a bit to save time during frying.
• Cook the beans till done. 
• The beans needs to be very soft.(it is preferable to use a pressure cooker if you have to save time.)
• When the beans is done, add salt, leave to dry up all the water and set aside.
• Pour the palm oil into a separate dry pot.
• Allow to heat(medium heat) up till the oil starts smoking and the red colour changes to clear.
• Use vegetable oil and when it is very hot, I add a small amount of palm oil.
•  Now add the precooked onions and stir continuously till the onions is fully caramelized and dark in colour.
•  Add the parboiled tomato puree and stir continuously till you cannot tell the difference between the tomatoes and onions.
• Add the pepper, crayfish, stock cubes and salt to taste. 
• You can also add a little water at this point if your want.