🍅 Beans in Tomato Sauce

🍅 Beans in Tomato Sauce

🫘 A delicious and comforting Swahili-style dish made with beans simmered in a rich tomato sauce — perfect with rice, chapati, or bread!

📝 Ingredients:

• 🫘 ½ kg beans (cooked or canned, rinsed)

• 🧅 2 onions, chopped

• 🍅 3 tomatoes, chopped

• 🌶️ 2 green chilies

• 🍅 ½ teaspoon tomato paste

• 🌶️ ¼ teaspoon chili powder

• 🧄 1 teaspoon crushed garlic

• 🫚 ¼ teaspoon fresh grated ginger

• 
  
  🌿 A little coriander (dania), chopped
  

• 🛢️ Cooking oil (as needed)

• 🧂 Salt (to taste)

• 💧 Water (as needed)

👩🏽‍🍳 Instructions:

1. Soak & Cook Beans
   🫘 Soak the beans, then boil until soft and tender.
   (If using canned beans, rinse and drain them first.)

2. Sauté Aromatics
   🔥 In a pot, heat oil and sauté 🧅 onions and 🧄 garlic until soft — but don’t let them brown.

3. Add Tomatoes & Spices
   🍅 Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, 🌶️ chili powder, 🌶️ green chilies, 🫚 ginger, and the cooked beans. Cover and let it cook on medium heat without stirring.

4. Simmer & Mash
   🍲 Once the mixture thickens, gently mash it. Add 💧 water to create a sauce. Let it simmer a bit, then add 🌿 chopped coriander.

5. Serve
   ✅ Remove from heat and serve hot with 🍚 rice, 🫓 chapati, or 🍞 bread.

⏱️ Time Estimate:

• ⏳ Prep time: 15 minutes

• 🔥 Cooking time: 25–30 minutes

• ⏱️ Total time: ~40–45 minutes

🍽️ Servings:

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Serves 4–5 people

🍅 Origin of Beans in Tomato Sauce

Beans in Tomato Sauce is a simple yet flavorful dish enjoyed in many cultures around the world, with variations found in Africa, Europe, and the Americas. While it doesn't have a single specific origin, it has become a beloved staple in many countries due to its combination of beans, tomatoes, and spices, which are both affordable and nutritious.

🌍 Cultural and Historical Background

🌍 Global Roots

• The concept of combining beans and tomatoes is common across many cuisines, especially those in Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean. Both beans and tomatoes are globally available, making this dish easy to prepare and adaptable to local ingredients.

🌍 African Influence

• In many East African countries, beans in tomato sauce is a common home-cooked dish, often served with rice, chapati, or ugali. The dish might include a variety of spices, such as garlic, ginger, and coriander, and can sometimes feature coconut milk for a creamier texture. In Zanzibar and coastal regions, beans are paired with coconut or spicy tomato-based sauces to create a hearty meal.

Mediterranean Influence

• In Italian cuisine, a similar dish is known as "fagioli al pomodoro" (beans in tomato sauce). This Italian version features beans cooked in a rich tomato sauce, often served as a side dish or part of a main meal. The use of olive oil, garlic, and herbs like basil or oregano is common in this preparation.

🌎 Caribbean Influence

• In the Caribbean, beans are often stewed in tomato sauce with spices like scotch bonnet peppers, thyme, and allspice, creating a flavorful and sometimes spicy dish.

🍲 Dish Characteristics

• Beans: Common varieties include kidney beans, black beans, and cannellini beans, though other types of beans can also be used.

• Tomato Sauce: The base of the dish is typically made by simmering tomatoes with spices like onion, garlic, and ginger. The sauce may be pureed or chunky, depending on the desired consistency.

• Flavor: The dish is often seasoned with spices like cumin, paprika, chili, and coriander, and can be sweetened or spiced up with brown sugar, vinegar, or lemon juice to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.

📜 In Summary:

Beans in Tomato Sauce is a versatile dish with many variations across the world, originating from a combination of beans and tomatoes as staple ingredients. It reflects cultural influences from Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean, creating a flavorful, comforting meal enjoyed globally.