Isata’s Sierra Leone Ebeh

One of our food ambassadors – Isata- shared this dish with us at our Cultural Cook Ups at Loughborough Children’s Centre. 

Ebeh is a soup from Sierra Leone, made usually with Casava, but Isata adapted this recipe according to the veg that was available. It is a filling dish and is often made during Eid as a way of breaking the fast. Isata says that it is a great meal to give someone who is unwell, especially if you add some fresh chillis. You can add in unripe banana or unripe plantain also.

Ingredients 

3 medium potatoes

1 small butternut squash 

3 tomatoes

1 onion

3 carrots

3 cloves of garlic

4 fresh tomatoes or a tin of chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon of tomato puree

Handful of basil leaves

1 tin of beans, such as kidney beans/black beans/chickpeas

Handful of basil leaves

Vegetable or olive oil

Juice of half a lime

Method 

1. Chop the butternut squash and potatoes into similar sized bite size pieces. Add to a saucepan, cover with water and boil until soft.

2. Blend the onions, garlic and carrots. Add to the saucepan with a teaspoon of salt. Stir and boil for 10 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes and beans and cook for a further 5 minutes.

4. Remove from the heat. Stir through basil leaves. Serve in bowls with quarter of a lime that people can add to taste.