🇧🇯 Beninese Cuisine

Toubani

Bean Cakes

Prep Time 20 min

Servings 6

Difficulty Medium

Calories 282 kcal

Steamed cakes made from ground cowpea (black-eyed pea) flour mixed with palm oil and spices. Dense, savory, and protein-rich, toubani is a popular northern Beninese snack.

Ingredients

2 cups cowpea flour
3 tbsp palm oil
1 onion grated
1 tsp ground ginger
salt to taste
water
banana leaves for wrapping

Instructions

1 Mix cowpea flour with palm oil, grated onion, ginger, and salt.
2 Add water gradually to form a thick, smooth batter.
3 Wrap portions of batter in banana leaves.
4 Steam in a large pot for 45 minutes until firm.
5 Unwrap and serve warm, sliced into rounds.

Did You Know?

Toubani vendors slice the cakes into rounds and serve them with a spicy pepper sauce, making it a complete protein-rich meal for just a few francs.