Chef-tested recipe
Babenda is a Mossi preparation from Burkina Faso in which edible leafy greens, cracked rice, groundnuts and soumbala (fermented African locust-bean seasoning) cook into a thick, savoury pot. Some traditional versions include
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Cuisine
- Burkinabè
- Course
- Main or side
- Cooking Method
- Greens simmering and rice thickening
- Best Served With
- Tô, cooked yam or served warm on its own.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Ingredient and equipment links marked “paid link” may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 260 g fresh spinach, washed and chopped
- 220 g edible garden sorrel leaves, washed and chopped, or 220 g Swiss chard with 15 ml lemon juice
- 150 g broken white rice, rinsed paid link
- 80 g unsalted roasted peanuts, ground into a coarse meal paid link
- 35 g food-grade soumbala (fermented néré/locust bean seasoning), crumbled
- 35 g properly processed dried fish, cleaned and pounded, optional
- 180 g onion, finely diced
- 20 g garlic, chopped
- 20 ml neutral vegetable oil paid link
- 1,100 ml water, plus additional hot water if needed
- 5 g fine salt, adjusted for dried fish paid link
- 10 g fresh chilli, chopped, optional
Method
Prepare ingredients safely. Wash edible greens thoroughly, drain and chop. Use food-grade soumbala from a reliable supplier and dried fish intended for cooking. Crush peanuts into a coarse meal.
Start the greens. Heat oil in a heavy pot and soften onions for 5 minutes. Add garlic for 1 minute; add spinach, sorrel and chilli and stir until wilted.
Simmer. Pour in 1,100 ml water and simmer greens for about 10 minutes. Stir in the crumbled soumbala.
Cook the rice. Add rinsed cracked rice, cover loosely and simmer for 20–25 minutes, stirring often as the rice swells and breaks down. Add hot water only if the base begins to catch.
Add groundnuts. Stir in the ground peanuts and optional dried fish; continue cooking 10–15 minutes until rice is completely tender, fish is heated through and the mixture becomes thick and cohesive.
Season and serve. Taste before salting, especially when dried fish is included. Serve hot, either spooned alongside tô or in bowls.
Beginner Technique Notes
- The thick rice-and-greens texture is part of the identity of babenda; it should not be reduced to a thin spinach soup.
- Soumbala is fermented African locust-bean seasoning, not an ordinary commercial bouillon cube.
- Sour greens vary seasonally; edible sorrel offers the traditional sour note in this adaptation.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swiss chard with lemon juice may replace sorrel, though the flavour will differ.
- For a fish-free version omit dried fish and increase a little soumbala to taste.
- Use only commercially food-safe fermented ingredients; do not attempt improvised legume fermentation.
Storage and Food Safety
Cool rapidly and refrigerate in shallow containers within 2 hours at 4°C or below. As the dish contains cooked rice, use within 24 hours and reheat only once to at least 75°C.
Serving Suggestions
Tô, cooked yam or served warm on its own.
Allergen Notes
Peanuts; fish if dried fish is used. Check soumbala for soy or other declared allergens and cross-contact.
