Torborgee

Liberian Beans Torborgee is the best Torborgee in the world; take a spoon for a delicious spicy flavor! Torborgee is a thick, palm-oily, spicy and bitter stew with African pea eggplants or red cow peas/lentils in Liberian cuisine. The cuisine is frequently strengthened by the inclusion of dried beef, chicken, pork, or fish, and it is typically associated with the Lorma people of Liberia's Lofa County.

Liberia's original African population is made up of seventeen ethnic groups: Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mandingo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Lorma, Kissi, Vai, Sapo, Belleh (Kuwaa), Mende, and Dey. Each of these tribes prefers a distinct type of soup and has its own traditional method of preparing it for its people. The Lorma are a West African ethnic group who live predominantly in northern Guinea and Liberia. They are closely connected to the Mende. Torborgee is a specialty of Liberia's Lorma ethnic group. Torborgee is a traditional staple food cooked in Liberian families both at home and abroad. It is served with rice and can be cooked in a variety of ways, including beans, pepper, bitter-ball, water-greens, fever-leaf, and cassava torborgees.

Ingredients

• Meat Varieties (chicken, smoked fish, meat and seafood), 2 lbs Red Cow Peas (1 pack), African Red Palm Oil, ½ tbsp Bicarbonate of Soda/ Country Soda, 1 tsp Garlic Powder, 1 medium Onion, sliced, 2 Habanero peppers (substitute for cayenne pepper), 1 ½ tbsp Chicken Flavor Bouillon, Salt, Ground Black Pepper, Water

Instructions

• Add 5 cups of water and red cow peas to a large pot. (increase water content as required)
• Boil red cow peas on high-heat for one hour or more until peas are soften and set aside
• In a separate pot, Add meat varieties, dash of salt, onions, garlic powder, ground black pepper, cayenne and habanero peppers. Add water and parboil on medium heat for 30 mins.
• Remove parboiled meat varieties from broth and set aside.
• In the pot with broth, Add chicken Flavor Bouillon, mashed habanero peppers, remaining onions and bring to a boil.
• Add cooked red cow peas and stir evenly.
• Cook red cow peas on medium-heat for 45 mins, until broth simmers down.
• Add meat varieties to cooking pot of beans and any seasonings needed.
• On low-heat, Add red palm oil to pot of beans and stir evenly.
• Mix Bicarbonate of Soda and a dash of water. Add soda mixture to pot of beans. This is the ingredient that gives the soup that special taste and makes the soup different from other bean soup.
• When the soda is added, it makes the soup to foam a lot. In this way, the real Torborgee is cooked.
• Turn off heat and cool down for 10 mins.
• Served Liberian Beans Torborgee with Rice