Dounguouri Soko
Top 5 in Top 8 Nigeria's Speciality Foods
Dounguouri soko is a classic African dish from Niger. It's cooked with lamb, white beans, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, oil, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and (optionally) natron - a salty and bitter mixture of baking soda, sodium chloride, and sodium sulfate used to soften the beans and facilitate digestion.
The stew is comparable to French cassoulet, however it lacks seasonings. The beans are soaked, washed, then cooked with natron. The beef is sliced into bits and cooked in oil with onions, peppers, tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste, and water.
The beans are then added to the saucepan, and the stew is cooked for a few minutes more, until the sauce thickens. Dounguouri soko is best served with mayonnaise.
