Republic of Congo | Stew

Madesu

Name: Madesu
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 95 min
Total time: 115 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Republic of Congo, Central Africa
Ingredients: 2 cups dried red beans, soaked overnight; 7 cups water; 2 tbsp red palm oil; 1 large onion, chopped; 3 medium tomatoes, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 whole hot pepper; salt and pepper, to taste

Congolese beans simmered with tomato, onion, garlic, palm oil, and chili into a rich everyday stew.

Country

Republic of Congo

Region

Central Africa

Time

115 min

Serves

Level

easy

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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.

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Ingredients

For 6 servings

Stew

Beans

2 cups dried red beans, soaked overnight 7 cups water

Sauce

2 tbsp red palm oil 1 large onion, chopped 3 medium tomatoes, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 whole hot pepper

Finishing

salt and pepper, to taste

A few kitchen essentials

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

Lidded pot

02 / Let’s cook

One step at a time

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

Back to Republic of Congo

4 steps 20 min prep 95 min cook (check method) 115 min total easy

Cook beans

Simmer soaked beans in water until tender and creamy.

beans 70:00

Make tomato base

Cook onion, garlic, tomatoes, palm oil, and pepper until reduced.

base 15:00

Combine

Add beans and some cooking liquid to the sauce.

combine 08:00

Simmer thick

Cook until the beans are seasoned and the sauce thickens.

finish 12:00

Some versions add smoked fish, bouillon, or meat, while simple home versions keep the beans vegetarian and oil-rich.

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 meal prep, rice plates, and everyday family meals.. Plan on a easy cook. Allow about 115 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Rice, plantain, kwanga, or sauteed greens.

Regional lane

Republic of Congo national table. A structured Republic of Congo dish in the AfroKitchen archive.

Chef watch-outs

Adding too much liquid after the rice goes in.
Stirring too often once the grains should be steaming.
Stopping the base before the pepper, onion, or spice edge has mellowed.

How you know it is ready

The grains should be tender but still distinct, with steam carrying the seasoning upward.
The sauce should coat the spoon and taste rounded, not watery or raw.
The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.

Recipe illustrations

See the dish before you cook

Take a closer look at the dish and its serving ideas.

Red beans in a thick tomato, onion and palm-oil sauce; AI-generated Madesu illustration — Madesu finished dish · AI-generated illustration

Chef board

Build the table around Madesu

Rice, plantain, kwanga, or sauteed greens.

Best route from here

Republic of Congo national table

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