Livhuwani is a recipe creator & food blogger with a passion for encouraging people to eat more plants and championing indigenous African ingredients. In this article, Livhuwani shares a delicious recipe for Bambara Bean & Plantain Traybake that is both vegan and gluten-free.
Bambara Bean & Plantain Traybake
This hearty and tasty Bambara bean and plantain traybake is a delicious way to enjoy Africa’s rich and nutritious ingredients. Simply bake and serve on its own, with rice, or with flatbreads. It’s Gluten-free, nutrient-dense, and packed with flavour!
What You’ll Need
- Bambara beans: Bambara beans, also known as Bambara groundnuts, are a type of legume that are popular in parts of Africa. They are high in protein and other nutrients, and are commonly used in soups, stews, and other dishes. Bambara beans can often be found in African or specialty food stores, as well as online retailers such as Amazon or Etsy. They may also be available at some health food stores or co-ops.
- Plantains: Plantains are a starchy, banana-like fruit that are commonly used in Latin American, African, and Caribbean cuisine. They can be eaten ripe or unripe, and can be boiled, fried, or grilled. Plantains are available at most grocery stores, particularly those that carry international or tropical produce. They may also be found at farmers’ markets or specialty food stores.
Other ingredients:
- Red onion
- Courgette (zucchini)
- Red peppers
- Cherry tomatoes
- Lemon (the juice)
- Coriander powder
- Smoked paprika
- Chilli powder
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Vegetable oil
- Fresh Coriander (cilantro)
How to Make this Bambara Bean & Plantain Traybake recipe
Step one: preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400ºF, fan or gas mark 7.
Step two: roast the vegetables
Place the onion, courgette (zucchini), and peppers into a roasting tin, salt, pepper, drizzle with olive oil and toss together. Place the vegetables in the oven and roast them for 20 minutes.
Step three: lightly fry/sauté the beans
In a medium saucepan, drizzle with olive oil, add Bambara beans, and seasonings, and lightly fry until the beans are well coated with seasoning. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step four: fry the plantains
In a non-stick skillet, over medium-high heat, drizzle vegetable oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the plantain and fry for 1-2 minutes on the side, then flip and repeat the process until golden brown. Remove the plantains from the pan, drain them on a paper towel and set them aside.
Step five: bring it all together
Remove the roasting tin from the oven, then add the Bambara beans, plantains and tomatoes. Return to the oven and cook for a further 5–10 minutes. The vegetables should be slightly charred but not burnt.
Step six: make the dressing, mix, and serve
Bambara Bean & Plantain Traybake
Ingredients
- 1 cup Bambara beans cooked
- 2 plantains peeled - sliced
- 1 red onion roughly chopped
- 1 courgette - zucchini largely sliced
- 2 red peppers largely diced
- 1 cup Cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ lemon juiced
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsps vegetable oil
- Fresh Coriander - cilantro To garnish
For the dressing:
- 2 tbsp vegan mayo
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400ºF, fan or gas mark 7
- Place the onion, courgette (zucchini), and peppers into a roasting tin, salt, pepper, drizzle with olive oil and toss together. Place the vegetables in the oven and roast them for 20 minutes.
- In a medium saucepan, drizzle with olive oil, add Bambara beans, and seasonings, and lightly fry until the beans are well coated with seasoning. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a non-stick skillet, over medium-high heat, drizzle vegetable oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the plantain and fry for 1-2 minutes on the side, then flip and repeat the process until golden brown. Remove the plantains from the pan, drain them on a paper towel and set them aside.
- Remove the roasting tin from the oven, then add the Bambara beans, plantains and tomatoes. Return to the oven and cook for a further 5–10 minutes. The vegetables should be slightly charred but not burnt.
- In a small to medium bowl, add the mayo, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Mix the ingredients together to make a sauce. Drizzle the dressing over the Bambara beans & plantain traybake. Finely chop some coriander (cilantro) for garnish.
- Serve immediately or let cool completely before serving on its own or over rice or flatbreads!
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If you enjoyed this Bambara Bean & Plantain Traybake recipe, you might also like this Vegan Red Red Stew by Zoe Adjonyoh. Click here for the recipe.
Recipe & Photography by Livhuwani Tshikhudo.
Connect with Livhuwani on instagram (@ itslivhuwani) and find more delicious recipes on livhuwani.com.
Thank you for this amazing recipe. Can’t wait to make it again!