Burkina Faso | Main dish

Babenda

Name: Babenda
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Burkina Faso, West Africa
Ingredients: 1 cup rice, rinsed; 4 cups leafy greens, sorrel leaves and African spinach, amaranth, or spinach, chopped; 1 pinch soumbala (dawadawa), pounded; 2 tbsp dried fish powder, or finely pounded dried fish; ½ cup pounded peanuts; 2 tbsp shea butter or vegetable oil; water, for simmering; hot pepper, to serve; salt, to taste

A nourishing Burkina Faso pot of leafy greens, rice, pounded peanuts, soumbala, and dried fish, finished with shea butter, pepper, and salt.

Country

Burkina Faso

Region

West Africa

Time

50 min

Serves

Level

easy

Start cooking Explore Burkina Faso recipes

01 / Get ready

Everything you need

Tap each ingredient as you gather it. Illustrations are visual guides; follow the ingredient names and quantities.

Servings 6

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

Jump to method My cookbook

Ingredients

For 6 servings

Main dish

1 cup rice, rinsed 4 cups leafy greens, sorrel leaves and African spinach, amaranth, or spinach, chopped 1 pinch soumbala (dawadawa), pounded (optional) 2 tbsp dried fish powder, or finely pounded dried fish (optional) ½ cup pounded peanuts 2 tbsp shea butter or vegetable oil water, for simmering hot pepper, to serve (optional) salt, to taste

A few kitchen essentials

Suggested from the recipe method. Use equivalent equipment you have.

Lidded pot

Knife & board

Wooden spoon

02 / Let’s cook

One step at a time

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Burkina Faso

5 steps 15 min prep 35 min cook (check method) 50 min total easy

Cook the greens

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the chopped African spinach or amaranth first, then add sorrel leaves once the greens begin to soften. Simmer for about 15 minutes.

Kitchen noteSorrel brings tang, while amaranth or spinach gives the dish body.

Boil greens 10:00

Add rice and peanuts

Add the rinsed rice and pounded peanuts to the greens. Stir well so the peanuts disperse through the pot.

Settle the pot 05:00

Season the pot

Add soumbala and dried fish powder, then stir carefully with a wooden spoon so the mixture does not stick.

Season 05:00

Simmer slowly

Cover and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring often, until the rice is tender and the greens and peanuts form a thick, hearty mixture.

Simmer 30:00

Serve

Serve hot with shea butter or oil, pepper, and salt at the table. Babenda can also sit beside toh for a fuller meal.

Every household has small variations. Start here, then adjust seasoning, heat, and serving sides to your kitchen.

Cooking notes, photos & serving ideas

Recipe context

More about this dish

Serving ideas, regional context, and cooking cues for when you want more detail.

When to cook it

Best for Daily meals. Plan on a easy cook. Allow about 50 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Toh or boiled yam

Follow the collection

Vegetarian Africa is the easiest collection to explore after this dish. Vegetarian Africa

Regional lane

Burkina Faso national table. A structured Burkina Faso dish in the AfroKitchen archive.

Chef watch-outs

Overcooking the greens until the color and texture collapse.
Rushing the rest or fermentation period.
Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.

How you know it is ready

Greens should be cooked through but still look alive and glossy.
The bread or batter should smell pleasantly fermented, toasted, or nutty rather than floury.
The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.

Recipe photos