Frejon (Beans in Coconut Milk)

Name: Frejon (Beans in Coconut Milk)
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 cups dried Nigerian honey beans or adzuki beans; 10 fresh thyme sprigs; 1 fresh bay leaf; 1 small yellow onion, peeled and halved; Kosher salt; 3/4 to 1 cup unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 red bell pepper, quartered, seeded and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips; 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 1/2 red habanero chile; 1 tablespoon dried crayfish powder or 2 tablespoons tiny dried shrimp (optional); 1 (14-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices; 1 tablespoon red palm oil; 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves; 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems; 2 scallions, thinly sliced; 1/2 lime, zest removed in strips and julienned, plus lime wedges, for serving; 1/4 cup garri (fermented coarse ground cassava), optional

By Yewande Komolafe

Total Time: 2 hours, plus soaking
Rating: 4(149)
Notes: Read community notes

A simple dish of cooked beans puréed with coconut milk, frejon is an ode to the coastal city of Lagos and its rich cultural diversity. Typically served with a seafood stew, it is accompanied here by a vibrant, chunky tomato sauce laced with the heat of habanero, the richness of red palm oil and a hit of umami from dried crayfish, which is optional but highly recommended. A garnish of garri (coarsely ground and dehydrated cassava) adds some necessary texture; lime zest and bright green herbs lends freshness.

Featured in: Yewande Komolafe’s 10 Essential Nigerian Recipes

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

2cups dried Nigerian honey beans or adzuki beans
10fresh thyme sprigs
1fresh bay leaf
1small yellow onion, peeled and halved
Kosher salt
¾ to 1cup unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk
2tablespoons olive oil
1red bell pepper, quartered, seeded and sliced crosswise into ¼-inch-thick strips
2garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½red habanero chile
1tablespoon dried crayfish powder or 2 tablespoons tiny dried shrimp (optional)
1(14-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices
1tablespoon red palm oil
¼cup fresh mint leaves
¼cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
2scallions, thinly sliced
½lime, zest removed in strips and julienned, plus lime wedges, for serving
¼cup garri (fermented coarse ground cassava), optional

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Pick through the beans for rocks, bad grains or twigs. Transfer the beans to a large bowl and add cold water to cover by at least 2 inches. Allow to soak for 4 hours or up to 12 hours. Rinse the beans and transfer them to a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches.
Step 2
Wrap the thyme, bay leaf and half the onion in a piece of cheesecloth and tie it with twine. Add to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low, partly cover with a lid and simmer until the beans are completely tender, about 1½ hours. Season with salt and allow beans to cool slightly in the cooking liquid. Discard the bouquet garni.
Step 3
Strain the beans, discarding liquid, and transfer the beans to a food processor. Pour in ¾ cup coconut milk and purée until smooth. Add more coconut milk for a smoother, thinner purée, if desired. Return the bean mixture to the pot, cover and keep warm on low heat, stirring occasionally to keep the bottom from scorching.
Step 4
Thinly slice the remaining onion. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Add the sliced onion and bell pepper, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened and just beginning to brown around the edges, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, habanero and dried crayfish powder, if using, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices, tearing the tomatoes into large chunks as you add them.
Step 5
Add ¼ cup water, bring to a simmer then reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is slightly reduced and flavors meld together, about 6 minutes. Stir in the red palm oil and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, discard the habanero, and season sauce to taste with salt.
Step 6
Combine the mint, cilantro, scallions and lime zest in a small bowl. Divide the bean purée among bowls, top with a healthy spoonful of the chunky tomato sauce and garnish with the herb and lime zest mixture. Sprinkle the garri on top, if using, and serve with lime wedges.

Tip

Beans can be soaked and cooked up to 2 days ahead. Store in cooking liquid, drain when ready to use, then purée with coconut milk. Warm up on low and stir frequently to prevent scorching.

Ratings

4 out of 5

149 user ratings

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

brandon5 years ago

Words still have several meanings. In this context perhaps meant to convey unfancy and humble; although as you point out, like other peasant foods' unassuming appearances, a laborious and nuanced preparation passed down through generations is often required.

Joe5 years ago

This "simple" recipe with six steps and 15+ ingredients for beans. Do words still have meaning?

Crystal5 years ago

The actual frejon is the beans, sugar, salt and coconut milk blended. The rest is accompaniment. The frejon is traditionally served with fish on Good Friday, this recipe has it served with a veggie combo. You can make it like a blended soup or cook it further so it ends up more like a pudding. Yummy!

Ila5 years ago

Effortless way to make something out of nearly nothing, dried beans, an onion and a can of tomatoes, something most of have on the shelf - the can of coconut milk being the only pricey item. Perfectly good even without the "red palm oil" which most of us probably never will have.

DKW4 years ago

The honey beans I just got and cooked taste similar to black eyed peas, so blackeyes might be a better substitute for honey beans than the suggested adzuki beans.

Roxanne5 years ago

This was delicious! Definitely something you have to plan ahead for (tracking down the beans, soaking all day/overnight). But the result was a very filling and flavorful, and didn't remind me of anything I'd had before, which was refreshing. I used diced tomatoes rather than whole, and I ordered the beans and red palm oil online. I also pureed the onion that had simmered in the beans with the beans and coconut milk.

Cassidy5 years ago

This might be considered heresy, but butter is the simplest substitution for red palm oil - it has a similarly rich taste, albeit much less complex. Start by adding 1/2 tbs, then taste and add more if more richness is needed. Would be curious to see what others think, but in my experience annatto oil can also be a substitute - made at home with canola (or olive) oil steeped with dried annatto or ground annatto seed. But there are lots of ways to use red palm oil - worth the purchase, I think!

jencle3 years ago

I used both red palm oil and dried shrimp, and I think they really add something that transforms this from just a bell pepper and onion sauté. Also used a whole habanero, mashed into sauce, as we like heat. I threw some shrimp on at the end. Surprised at how much we liked it - will definitely make again! Also, used canned black eyed peas due to time constraints. Pureed with coconut milk, fresh thyme, and a small garlic clove. Tasty, easy shortcut.

CaliCook2 years ago

Delicious ! I substituted berbère spice mix instead of the crayfish/shrimp spices and it has quickly become a favorite family dish

Diana2 years ago

@Illa - Palm oil is readily available through Amazon and in groceries that serve large Latin populations. Another thing you can use palm oil for is Moqueca, an incredibly wonderful Brazilian stew. The palm oil is really worth keeping in your pantry if you will cook Cuban, Caribbean, African or South American dishes. It comes in a small bottle, and you will find many uses for it, especially in curries.

Shari2 years ago

See notes with Vegan Coconut-Ginger Black beans.

Sarah3 years ago

I had to make a lot of substitutions, so I can only imagine how good it is with the right stuff! In case it helps someone else that isn't doing much grocery shopping these days: - black beans, cooked from dry seasoned with bay leaves and halved shallot - reduced coconut milk and added 1/2 cup nonfat milk - no chile, double garlic and 1tbsp minced ginger - coconut oil instead of palm oil - no mint, extra lime zest

jencle3 years ago

Todd3 years ago

This turned out well, but not appreciably different from dressed up refried pinto beans. The palm oil adds a very interesting taste to the tomatoes, and the beans come out creamy. I don't think I'll revisit it.

Brendan4 years ago

My first attempt at a West African dish - I'm going to have to try more. Used adzuki beans (couldn't get Nigerian honey beans locally) and substituted a dash of fish sauce for the crayfish - the umami hit of the reduced tomato and fish sauce was a great complement to the rich and sweet bean / coconut milk mix.

Laz4 years ago

Could you please recommend a vegetarian substitute for the fish powder?

Todd3 years ago

Anything that adds umami--dash of tamari; etc. People will gasp, but a pinch of msg (Accent) will get you there too.

Daniel4 years ago

This was good, but much milder and uneventful and I hoped for. With nothing to compare it to, unfortunately, it's hard for me to say if I missed the mark or not. The heat of the habanero did not come through, even though I minced it and left it in. Adding the juice from the half lime in addition to the zest helped, as did 1 tsp salt and 1/4th tsp cayenne. Admittedly I did not use red palm oil or garri, so perhaps that was the problem?

DKW4 years ago

The honey beans I just got and cooked taste similar to black eyed peas, so blackeyes might be a better substitute for honey beans than the suggested adzuki beans.

Maggie5 years ago

Oh I also added some annatto powder to the sauce based on someone’s comment about annatto and butter in place of the palm oil. That was good.

Maggie5 years ago

Decided to make this for dinner around 5:30 PM, so had to work with what I had. No honey beans, so I used a small red bean and added some honey to taste once they were cooked (3 Tbsp?). Instant pot cooks dried beans in 50 mins total (30 to cook, 20 to cool). I added salt before the pressure cook. I used fish sauce instead of dried fish. Used fresh tomatoes and a chopped up cherry pepper from the garden. Result was A . Delicious and different.

Roxanne5 years ago

EmEl5 years ago

When I see the combo of adzuki beans and coconut milk I think of a wonderful "comfort food" sort of pudding made by a Malaysian friend of mine! With beans, coconut milk, some heat, cilantro, lime and a few other things, what could go wrong? I will definitely be making this soon, especially thanks to the suggestions from commenters about substitutions that can be made!

jpm5 years ago

Had just cooked beans for another purpose and had put in too much chile powder. This recipe looked like it would work, and I had most of the ingredients. I overdid the coconut milk and accidentally put the bean water in, so I ended with a thick, but yummy, soup. With some trepidation, I slowly added the herbs,veggies and lime zest ( which I had cooked), it was DELICIOUS!

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