Burkina Faso | Side

Gonre

Burkinabe steamed bean cakes made from cowpea paste, peanut, leafy greens, and maize couscous.

Country
Burkina Faso
Region
West Africa
Time
90 min
Serves
6
Level
medium
Explore Burkina Faso recipes Browse AfroKitchen
Recipe overview

What to know before you cook

Gonre is a Mossi bean dish with two moods: smooth in the dry season and leaf-rich when bean leaves are available.

What the dish tastes like

Burkinabe steamed bean cakes made from cowpea paste, peanut, leafy greens, and maize couscous.

When to cook it

Best for breakfast markets, snack plates, and ceremonial family cooking.. Plan on a medium cook and about 90 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Tomato sauce, chili oil, or a light onion relish.

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 base before the raw edge has cooked out.
  • Adding all seasoning early and forgetting to adjust at the end.
How you know it is ready
  • Greens should be cooked through but still look alive and glossy.
  • The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
  • Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Each recipe supports one main image and up to four extra prep, serving, or step photos when they are available.

Gonre recipe from Burkina Faso
Gonre finished dish
Chef board

Build the table around Gonre

Tomato sauce, chili oil, or a light onion relish.

Best route from here

Burkina Faso national table

Collections to keep cooking
Vegetarian African Classics
Servings 6

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

How to cook it

Step-by-step method

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

Back to Burkina Faso
4 steps 45 min prep 45 min cook 90 min total medium
1
Blend the beans
Blend peeled beans with onion, garlic, chili, and just enough water to make a thick paste.
blend 08:00
2
Season and rest
Fold in peanut powder, greens, maize couscous, oil, and salt. Let the mixture hydrate.
rest 20:00
3
Steam cakes
Spoon into oiled cups or leaves and steam until firm through the center.
steam 35:00
4
Serve warm
Unmold and serve with tomato sauce or chili oil.
finish 03:00

Leafy versions include bean leaves or greens; simpler versions are mostly cowpea paste and seasoning.

Keep exploring

Cook around Gonre

Follow country, category, collection, time, and pairing paths without turning the recipe page into a link farm.

Riz Gras recipe from Burkina Faso Burkina Faso Main dish Riz Gras Burkina Faso's rich one-pot rice cooked in a meat and tomato broth with vegetables. The rice is "fat" from absorbing all th... Time70 min ServingsServes 6 DifficultyMedium DietGluten Free RegionWest Africa Open recipe Benga recipe from Burkina Faso Burkina Faso Main dish Benga Burkinabe rice and beans plate, simple, nourishing, and usually finished with tomato-onion sauce or chili oil. Time95 min ServingsServes 6 DifficultyEasy DietVegan RegionWest Africa Open recipe Poulet Bicyclette recipe from Burkina Faso Burkina Faso Main dish Poulet Bicyclette Grilled free-range chicken marinated in a spicy mustard-lemon mix. Named after the free-range chickens that roam like bicyc... Time70 min ServingsServes 4 DifficultyMedium DietGluten Free RegionWest Africa Open recipe Babenda recipe from Burkina Faso Burkina Faso Main dish Babenda A nourishing porridge of millet flour and leafy greens simmered with dawadawa for umami depth. A staple of everyday Burkina... Time50 min ServingsServes 6 DifficultyEasy DietVegan RegionWest Africa Open recipe
Browse AfroKitchen Explore Burkina Faso recipes