Irresistiblyummy

Growing up, my dad loved maize and beans—it was his favorite food, and he could eat it every day. He would often talk about how packed with nutrients this meal was, but I couldn’t be bothered; I wasn’t interested in the story.

I kind of liked the dish, but it was too stressful to make since it took forever to get ready. I always wondered why we had to spend hours cooking it—after all, it’s just food. The process was even more frustrating because we used dry corn, and removing the kernels was a hassle. I still remember the blisters I got from that tedious task. Why should I suffer just to eat a meal “packed with nutrients”?

After moving abroad, I found myself craving this meal and decided to try using sweet corn since I had no idea where to find dry corn kernels. It was the best decision of my life! The experience was seamless, and now this dish has become a staple for me.

If you want to treat your taste buds, this recipe is the truth, and it’s easy. No more blisters because, let’s be honest, food shouldn’t cause you pain.

The Yummiest Maize & Beans Recipe

Now, let’s get started with making my dad’s favourite meal with my easy maize and beans recipe. If you’ve been trying to figure out how to cook beans and corn, you’re in the right place!

Beans and Corn Ingredients

• 2 cups of beans. 
• 4 cups of water. 
• ½ tbsp salt. 
• 341 ml corn. 

Beans and Corn Sauce Ingredients

• 1/3 cup palm oil. 
• 2 medium sized onions (blended or chopped). 
• 1 large bell pepper (blended). 
• ½ tsp salt. 
• 1 bouillon cube. 
• ½ tsp of dry pepper. 
• 2 tbsp fish powder. 

Equipment

• Instant pot/pressure cooker 
• Spoon. 
• Blender. 
• Saucepan. 

Instructions

1. Wash beans 

2. In a pressure cooker/instant pot, add water, beans, ½ tbsp salt and cook for 30 minutes 

3. In a saucepan, add palm oil, ½ salt, onions and saute on medium heat for 5 minutes 

4. Stir in the blended bell pepper, bouillon cube, dry pepper and cook for 5 to 7 minutes 

5. Pour in the cooked beans, add fish powder, corn and simmer for 5 minutes 

6. Taste and adjust for salt or pepper 

7. Serve hot 

General Notes

• I used black eyed beans for this recipe, feel free to use any beans of your choice and adjust the cooking time and quantity of water as necessary. Beans generally takes a while to cook if you are not using a pressure cooker, to reduce cooking time soak beans overnight or for 2-3 hours. 
• Olive oil can be substituted for palm oil and an additional red bell pepper and fresh tomatoes can be added to get the colorful look.
• For vegan variation, omit the fish powder. 

Enjoy your hot beans and corn with garri, bread, fried plantain or alone.