Recipes from Burundi
The bean is undeniably the most popular food in Burundi.
Every Burundian eats beans on average once a day and it is a food that has transcended social classes. You will find it in the poorest village in the most remote region but also in the most luxurious villa of Bujumbura City.
“Peek into any Burundian plate and you will find beans”.
Cooking Method
• First, sort the beans and remove any that are crooked or discolored, as well as any stems, debris, and other dirt. Be very careful of those little pebbles that sometimes slip through when wildcrafting!
• Put the beans and potatoes water in a pot and bring to a boil. Let it boil for about 1-2 hours.
• In a separate pan, heat the oil and fry the onions until they are transparent. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant.
• Add the beans to the pot and cook for five minutes. Stir in the salt and any spice mix. Serve immediately.
1. Beans (Ibiharage)
Ugali is a type of stiff maize flour porridge. It is a very popular food in Sub Saharan Africa and Burundi is no exception.
This dough can be made with many plants such as sorghum, cassava, and others, but the most popular is made with maize. This dish is highly prized, particularly by those who cannot afford the luxury of three meals a day as it is the most energyboosting dish on the list. While not complicated to make, it does require a little technique.
• First, heat some water in a deep pan, making sure it has a strong handle. Sprinkle in about 1 tbsp of maize flour as the water comes to a boil. Keep stirring and pressing the mixture against the sides of the pan to break up the lumps.
• As the mixture thickens, it gets more difficult to mix, but keep going and break up those lumps. Once the mixture begins to come away from the sides of the pan, let it to cook for 2-3 minutes. It best goes with some beef stew.
Umukeke
This is a type of fish only found in Lake Tanganyika. It is the most “luxurious” traditional food and is, unfortunately, becoming more and more scarce, expensive, and reserved for the rich due to the privatization of fishing areas. Umukeke is either roasted, grilled, or boiled depending on preference.
• The grilled Umukeke may be eaten with *uburobe and white onions. There is a good reason why it has held the title of the favorite tourist dish for the last 15 years…
* uburobe is made from cassava flour (dried in the sun then ground into a powder). The flour is mixed with water to make a dough, which is then wrapped in banana leaves
3. Umukeke
Cassava is a root vegetable, and the leaves are also edible but only if a person cooks them or dries them in the sun first.
• Chop the cassava leaves and cook them in boiling salted water for two straight hours on high heat.
• Dice the bell pepper, eggplant, and zucchini and fry them for a few minutes in a little oil to release their aroma.
• Add the drained cassava leaves, a little water, salt, and a pinch of chili pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the eggplant is cooked.
• This dish goes best with rice.
This dish is special because it is based on cassava leaves. It is unique to Burundi and you will not find an equivalent in terms of texture and taste anywhere else.
4. Isombe
Indagala
These are small fish found in Lake Tanganyika that are super delicious and a great source of protein. Very rich in iron, they are especially valued for the unique flavor they give to any dish.
• They are generally consumed as a side dish, but they can also serve as a main (usually deep fried, which makes them super crunchy). To make it even better, you can add some ringed white onions steeped in hot water, vinegar, and lemon.
Ndikumana Sephrose, a mother of four, lives in Cankuzo, Nyarumasi.
For over a year, she has been part of a farming group that belongs to the LWF project. With the LWF project, she has received the necessary knowledge on what to plant, where to get the seeds, how to irrigate. The whole process helping her to have a good harvest. And this has had a positive influence on the well-being of her children. She said :“Now my children are better nourished thanks to the bigger and better crops that I got”.
Credit: LWF Burundi