Adalu is a Nigerian vegetable dish, featuring corn and beans simmered with spices until thickened and rich. Here, we're using mixed beans for a variety of textures, piling them atop bulgur wheat before garnishing with fresh coriander and pickled onion for contrast as well as colour.
The quantities provided above are averages only.
Boxes and ingredients are packed in facilities that handles Peanut, Nuts, Sesame, Fish, Crustaceans, Milk, Egg, Mustard, Celery, Soya, Gluten and Sulphites. Due to the war in Ukraine, it has been necessary to substitute sunflower oil with rapeseed oil in some products without a label change. The FSA have advised that allergic reactions to rapeseed oil are rare.
2 unit(s)
Plain Naans
(Contains Milk, Cereals containing gluten)
120 grams
Bulgur Wheat
(Contains Cereals containing gluten)
20 grams
Vegetable Stock Paste
1 unit(s)
Red Onion
12 milliliter(s)
Red Wine Vinegar
(Contains Sulphites)
3 unit(s)
Garlic Clove
1 unit(s)
Medium Tomato
1 bunch(es)
Coriander
1 carton(s)
Mixed Beans
160 grams
Sweetcorn
50 grams
West African Style Paste
(Contains Soya)
1 sachet(s)
Smoky Base Paste
220 milliliter(s)
Water for the Bulgur
2 tsp
Sugar
200 milliliter(s)
Water for the Sauce
20 grams
Butter
If you don't have a toaster, heat your oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7 for the naans.
Pour the water for the bulgur (see pantry for amount) into a large saucepan, stir in half the stock paste and bring to the boil.
Stir in the bulgur, bring back up to the boil and simmer for 1 min.
Pop a lid on the pan and remove from the heat. Leave to the side for 12-15 mins or until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, halve, peel and slice the red onion as thinly as you can.
Pop half the onion into a small bowl and add the red wine vinegar and half the sugar (see pantry for amount). Add a pinch of salt, mix together and set aside to pickle.
Peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press). Cut the tomato into 2cm chunks. Roughly chop the coriander (stalks and all).
Drain and rinse the mixed beans in a sieve. Pop half of them into a bowl and roughly mash with the back of a fork. Drain the sweetcorn in the same sieve.
Heat a drizzle of oil in a large saucepan on medium heat.
Once hot, add the remaining onion, season with salt and pepper and fry, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10-12 mins.
Add the remaining sugar and cook until caramelised, 1-2 mins more.
Stir in the garlic, West African style paste and smoky base paste. Fry, stirring constantly, for 1 min.
Add the water for the sauce (see pantry for amount), remaining vegetable stock paste, the mixed beans (both whole and mashed) and sweetcorn to the onion.
Stir well to combine. Bring to the boil, then simmer until slightly thickened, 10-12 mins.
When the beans are almost ready, cut the naans in half widthways, then put in your toaster until golden.
If you're using the oven, put the naans onto a baking tray. Sprinkle with a little water and pop them into the oven to warm through, 2-3 mins.
Meanwhile, stir the butter (see pantry for amount) into the beans. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper if needed. Add a splash of water if it's a little too thick.
Fluff up the bulgur wheat with a fork, then stir through the tomato chunks.
Share the bulgur between your bowls and top with your adalu beans.
Scatter over the pickled onion and coriander.
Serve with the warm naans on the side.
Enjoy!