Base Nyebeh — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A thick, warming porridge of mixed beans and grains cooked down with salt and oil, eaten as a filling breakfast or given to new mothers for strength.

Ingredients

1 cup black-eyed beans
1 cup millet grains
1 cup rice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
6 cups water
Sugar to taste, optional

Instructions

1 Soak beans and millet separately overnight. Drain and rinse.
2 Combine beans, millet, and rice in a large pot. Add water and bring to a boil.
3 Reduce heat and simmer for forty-five minutes, stirring regularly to prevent sticking.
4 As the grains and beans soften, mash some against the side of the pot to thicken the porridge.
5 Add oil and salt. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a thick, porridge-like consistency.
6 Serve hot in bowls. Add sugar if desired. Traditionally eaten with a spoon or by drinking from the bowl.

Did You Know?

Base nyebeh is called the strength food of The Gambia and is specially prepared in large quantities for new mothers to help them recover after childbirth.