Delicacy

HEALTH BENEFITS OF BEANS

Beans is one of the common foods eaten on the Nigerian soil. While many eat it as beans pottage mixed with palm oil others eat it with rice. Also, it is used for making "Akara" - bean cake, "moin-moin" and the popular Yoruba "Ewa aganyin" delicacy but to mention a few. Additionally, beans is one of the cheapest source of protein (virtually everyone can afford it). It also contains complex carbs and it's as healthy as the vegetables we eat.

Aside from being a major source of protein, beans have other benefit which we may not know of and this is what this write up is set out to do.

From our research with food scientists, it was discovered that beans (is):

1. Low in fat
2. Good for the heart
3. Aids digestion
4. Reduces the risk of cancer
5. Helps in weight management

With the above mentioned benefits, I believe the next time we eat beans we would know that we're not just eating food but rather eating something that is essential for adequate growth and of high necessity to our body.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. Unripe bananas are more healthy than the ripened ones.
2. Bananas contain a lot of sugar but if eaten with protein, the insulin level is normalised
3. Onions are great antioxidants containing anti-allergy, antihistamine properties.

Maximum health benefits are seen in raw or lightly steamed onions.


The irrestible "Ijagun" delicacy: "Ewa Aganyin" and bread

I'm sure a good number of people would agree with me that beans, at times, could be a little dreading and most times, people often try as much as possible to avoid cooking or rather eating it.

This was my perception about beans not until the day a friend of mine took me to a canteen in Ijagun campus (Tai Solarin University of Education)  where I ate "Ewa Aganyin" and bread. As I ate the first spoon, I felt like not letting go. The taste was irrestible. It was hmm.."yummy! "
Ewa Aganyin has now become one of my favourite meals and part of the top ten food on my list. For those of you who have not tasted it before I would say, you are really missing out.

Ewa Aganyin is one of the many modified ways of eating and enjoying beans. It is a super delicious twist of the Nigerian beans. Unlike the past years when Ewa Aganyin was seen to only be a food for the less privileged, today, even "tush" youths now eat it with great delight.

Walking on the street of Ijagun, you would not need to search before getting a place to enjoy this great delicacy and there's this funny maxim amongst the students and that is,"eat ewa Aganyin and bread, and your life will never remain the same". Quite funny right? But that's the truth!


Having discovered that beans don't always have to be cooked in the conventional patterns, Ewa Aganyin is in for you to turn to as it is readily available anytime,anywhere.

If you feel like eating Ewa Aganyin and you seem not to know a place to get any, this article has readily sought for an alternative for you where you DIY. Just follow the steps below and you are on your way to making your own tasty Ewa Aganyin.

INGREDIENTS:
Beans (white/black eyed beans)
Salt (to taste)
Ewa Aganyin sauce
Palm oil
Onion
Bell pepper (tatashe)
Habenero pepper (ata rodo)
Tomato (make sure the hebenero and bell pepper are more than the tomatoes)
Ground crayfish (optional)
Seasoning cube
Salt

Method of preparation
The beans

Pick the beans carefully in order to separate the spoilt ones (including stones) from the good ones. Wash and put in a large cooking pot (note that the size of the pot depend on the quantity of beans you're cooking). Add enough water and put it on fire. Then add a little salt and cook till it becomes very soft.

The sauce:
1.Grind the tomatoes, bell pepper and habanero pepper.
2. Boil the ground pepper to evaporate to water so the pepper could get thick.
3. Heat some oil in another pot or preferably a sauce pan. Ensure it is brown but not burnt.
4. Add the thick ground pepper and stir.
5. Add the crayfish, salt and seasoning cubes to taste. Stir well and allow to fry.
6. Your Ewa Aganyin is then ready for serving.

Hope you enjoyed reading this? Kindly add your comment below if it was indeed helpful.

AFOLAYAN Barakat.