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Miyan Wake

Also known as Miyan Wake (Bean Soup — Hausa Style)

Miyan Wake is the Hausa bean soup — a thick, hearty, protein-rich soup made from cooked black-eyed beans or brown beans that are partially mashed into the cooking liquid to create a substantial, porridge-like consistency. It is a quintessential everyday Hausa meal, eaten morning and evening across Northern Nigeria.

Miyan Wake, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 2 big cups of black-eyed beans or brown beans (wake), soaked overnight
  • 2 cooking spoons of groundnut oil
  • 1 tablespoon of dawadawa (fermented locust beans)
  • 3 big handfuls of ground dried crayfish
  • 3 to 4 hot chilli peppers, blended
  • 1 big onion, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon of ground dry ginger
  • 1 teaspoon of ground Cameroon pepper
  • 1 big handful of smoked fish or stockfish — optional
  • 3 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt to taste
  • Water as needed

Method

  1. 01

    Cooking the Beans. Drain the soaked beans. Place in a large pot and cover generously with fresh water. Bring to a vigorous boil and cook for 45 to 55 minutes until the beans are completely soft and some have begun to break apart. Add more water as needed during cooking — the beans must never dry out. Do not drain. The starchy cooking liquid is part of the soup.

  2. 02

    Partially Mashing. Once the beans are fully soft, use the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher to mash roughly half the beans directly in the pot. Leave the other half whole. This partial mashing creates the characteristic thick, textured consistency of Miyan Wake — part smooth, part chunky.

  3. 03

    Frying the Northern Base. In a separate small pan, heat 2 cooking spoons of groundnut oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and fry for 2 minutes. Add the dawadawa and fry for 1 minute. Add the blended chilli pepper, ground ginger and Cameroon pepper. Fry for 5 to 7 minutes until fully cooked. Add this entire fried mixture to the beans in the pot.

  4. 04

    Seasoning and Finishing. Add the ground crayfish, smoked fish or stockfish if using, remaining seasoning cubes and salt. Stir everything thoroughly into the bean soup. Adjust the consistency by adding water if too thick. Simmer for 10 minutes on medium-low heat. Taste and adjust all seasonings. The soup should be thick, bold and deeply satisfying.

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