Let's dive into the heart of West African cuisine with a dish that's a staple in many homes – Adalu. It's a comforting, simple bean and corn stew that carries the warmth and vibrancy of West African flavours, made vegan-friendly without skimping on the rich, beloved tastes.

Adalu, or as the Yorubas call it, Ewa Ati Agbado (beans and corn), is a culinary canvas allowing for endless variations. Some folks jazz it up with crayfish, meats, or fish, but here at Afrisian, we like to keep it straightforward yet sensational.

How We Craft Our Adalu

We start with honey beans, known locally as Oloyin Beans, simmering them gently with onions to lay the foundation of this dish. Onions aren't just an afterthought; they're essential, infusing sweetness into every bite.

Next, we blend a mix of onions and red peppers to create a vibrant sauce that's added to the softened beans. This is where the magic happens – a dash of directly sourced Nigerian palm oil is stirred in, lending a beautiful red hue and depth of flavour that's unmistakably West African.

Sweetcorn is introduced at just the right moment, preserving its freshness and adding a delightful contrast to the savoury beans. The stew is left to simmer, allowing the flavours to meld into a thick, hearty porridge that's both satisfying and soulful.

Adalu: A Cultural Delight

This dish is more than just food; it's an exploration of taste and texture, a testament to the simplicity and ingenuity of West African cooking. Enjoyed in myriad ways – with a spoonful of Ijebu garri and ice water, alongside steamy puna yam, white rice, or even scooped onto crispy fried plantain – Adalu is versatile, each serving to promise a burst of flavour and a hug from the inside.

Whether it's the nostalgic memories it evokes of meals shared with loved ones or the simple joy of a well-made, comforting bowl of beans and corn porridge, Adalu holds a special place in the hearts of many. It's a reminder of home, of family, and of the simple pleasures that food can bring.

So, when you dive into our Adalu, you're not just tasting a dish; you're experiencing a piece of West African heritage, lovingly prepared to bring those cherished flavours right to your table.

West Africans love beans. Plain and simple. Because of this love,

Adalu is a simple bean and corn one pot stew. Like many West African dishes, everyone has their own spin to it. Some people add crayfish, others add meat, others skip this step entirely, but all of these variations are still adalu. We make our vegan-friendly without risking all the flavour we know and love. Adalu is cooked in different ways, some people add meats and fish, crayfish and even stew base. But I prefer mine simple and plain and I still find that it brings out a rich unmasked flavor.

We boil the beans first, one it own with onions.

a mixture of onions and pepper is blended.

When the beans is soft we pour the red pepper sauce into the sauce. that when we introduced the palm oil and once that is cook we had sweet corn to maintain the freshness and seasoning.

Onion gives this dish a lot of sweetness.

This meal is an exploration of taste and texture. Onces it’s all together, we leave it to bubble for the flavours to merge together, it’s mixed to encourage it to melt together and become thicker and hearty.

Our palm oil is source directly from nigeria, it’s beautifully red and

Adalu is a popular Nigerian maize and bean meal made as a pottage with smoked fish and/or meat cooked in palm oil.

Yorubas name this dish Ewa Ati Agbado(it translates to beans and corn) agwa na oka’‘(igbo).

This one pot beans and sweet corn dish beans and corn porridge, is so scrumptious, a marriage between sweet and savoury, what can beat that. This is definitely a easy comfort meal that lives in the memories of many Nigerians

How it’s eaten

Ijebu garri with ice water, once spoonful of beans & corn and wash it down with a spoonful of garri.

On it’s own a big bowl just for one. add long length sliced fried plantain.

enjoy with steamy hot puna yam, or white rice, save some for bread.

What people say about their memories around this dish

Growing up I didn't like beans but Mummy cooks it anyway. But with Adalu I'm in. Now I make it for my children . It's yummy!!!

Now we're craving beans and corn with ijebu garri

We call this muke in Ijesha. Muke elewe is my favourite breakfast dish, so yummy.

it reminded me of my grandmother when we used to go for a visit during holiday period. I will prepare it for my children one of these days.