Halimah, 18 - Nova High School

I was excited when Elizabeth suggested I share a cultural recipe at the next FEEST community dinner. And for the past year that I’ve been involved with culinary, the one recipe I always share is the soup of bean recipe because it is my all time favorite. I make it at home a lot and it’s pretty easy to make in the first place. All you need is some beans (preferably red beans), tomatoes (optional) and salt and spices, any kind you like! It typically eaten with white rice or roti (african bread). And where did this fabulous dish come from? Kenya! My dad’s side of the family is from Kenya while my mom’s side is from Somalia, but my siblings and I were born in Kenya and my family has taken most of the Kenyan traditions. Although I don’t really eat the cultural dishes, most of them I love and this one is #1 on my list. Okay, so here’s how you make this awesome dish:
boil some beans (until they are soft and ready to be eaten)
drain them and put them in a container and in the fridge until they are no longer EXTREMELY hot
blend small proportions of the beans in a blender or food processor until they are coarse.
add beans back into the pot, add some water to let boil as you also add salt and spices (my favorite is curry!)
It’s delicious, hearty, and……….delicious!