And now for the first country that is not along the mediterranean, Niger!

Here are a few facts about Niger

• Capital: Niamey
• Population: about 17.2 million
• Area: 1 267 000 km²
• Currency: CFA Franc

 

This is the first country in the list were I am not familiar at all with the food. I spent quite a bit of time researching what is a traditional meal from this country. I found this recipe called dounguouri soko which seems to be pretty traditional from Niger. It is composed of white beans and lamb. I was expecting some dishes with a lot of spices but this one doesn’t have much in it.

Dounguouri soko

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds of lamb (deboned leg)
• 1 pound white bean
• 3 onions chopped
• 2 green bell peppers diced
• 2 red bell pepper diced
• 5 tomatoes peeled and diced (ideally remove the seeds)
• 3 garlic cloves
• Vegetable oil
• 2 table spoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Soak the whites beans overnight in water in the fridge

The next day cook the beans in water for 45 minutes in a large pot.

In the meantime prepare all your ingredients. Chop the peppers and the onions. Peel and dice the tomatoes and chop the garlic. To easily peel the tomatoes, boil some water and throw them in, let the tomatoes in the boiling water for 30 seconds to a minute and put them in a bowl of ice water. The skin should come right off!

Cut the lamb in 2 inch cubes. In a heavy bottom pot (I used a dutch oven) heat some oil and brown the meat. Add the onions and the peppers and cook until onion are translucent.

Add the tomatoes and the garlic and cook for a few minutes.

By then the beans should have been in the water for 45 minutes. Drain them and add them to the pot along with the tomato paste and 1 cup of water. Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes and then an additional 30 minutes on low heat.

Bismillah!