Lesotho Likhobe, from the small land-locked South African nation, combines speckled red beans, sorghum and bulghur in a nutritious side dish.
Lesotho Likhobe
By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime
Lesotho Likhobe is my recipe of the day with the blogging group Eat the World.
Once per month we join forces to post recipes from a different country around the globe. This month we are focused on Lesotho. It is a small land-locked nation which lies completely inside the borders of South Africa.
Basotho Food
Basotho are the name of the people who live in Lesotho. Which is mountainous and has few food products of its own due to poor growing conditions. Much of the food eaten there is from South Africa, and many cooking traditions overlap.
But Lesotho Likhobe is pretty much totally of this country. And it uses local grains to make a nutritious side dish or vegetarian main dish.
Ska Moteane
In researching my recipe topic, I came across few resources that I could consider absolutely authentic. But I did come across a recipe by Ska Mirriam Moteane, an award-winning chef of Lesotho.
She has a cookbook as well, but I was unable to locate a copy.
I watched her basic techniques for making Lesotho likhobe on a youtube video. Then I adapted it with some flavors another person had also used in a likhobe. Which seemed in line with that type of cuisine.
I also used bulghur rather than wheat berries. Because it is what I had on hand and I like to use things already in my pantry. Bulghur is similar to wheat berries, except they are partially cooked. I can’t imagine, after sampling what I made, that using either one would be any less yummy.
Sorghum is easy enough to find in health food stores under the Bob’s Red Mill label.
Extra Process for Red Beans and Related Beans
The speckled red beans I used were indigenous to the Americas. I think they are close enough. Apparently the stock of other beans in the market is low due to covid and reduced shipping. They are perfect enough for this Lesotho Likhobe.
I do still take extra steps to prepare these beans as I would red beans. So as to remove any possible inflammatory effect (an extra boil helps get rid of that). Red beans have that, and I do the extra boil with any bean with red on them, even speckled.
I don’t want those I cook for having upset tummies. I don’t recall it ever bothering me- perhaps I am lucky that way. But I take care for all who eat my food.
Eat the World
Lesotho
Check out all the wonderful Lesotho dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!
Pandemonium Noshery: Butha Buthe – Spinach and Tangerine Soup
Palatable Pastime: Lesotho Likhobe
Magical Ingredients: Lesothan Chakalaka With Papa
Making Miracles: Lekhotloane
Sneha’s Recipe: Chakalaka With Pap-Pap/A Vegan & Gluten Free Stew With Cornmeal
Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Borotho – Bread from Lesotho
A Day in the Life on the Farm: Makoenva
Cultureatz: Butha-Buthe, a Spinach and Tangerine Soup
Kitchen Frau: Chakalaka with Pap (Vegetable-Bean Stew with Cornmeal Porridge)
Lesotho Likhobe
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Lesotho Likhobe
Lesotho Likhobe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Dominican speckled beans or other speckled red beans
- 1 cup sorghum grain
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 cup coarse cracked bulghur wheat
- 1/4 cup diced celery
- 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
Instructions
Prepare Beans:
- Place beans in a pan covered with 2 inches water. Bring to a boil and boil one minute. Remove from heat and let sit one hour.
- Drain beans and rinse; then cover with two inches of water and bring to a rolling boil; boil hard for ten minutes, then rinse and drain again.
Prepare Likhobe:
- Add beans to cooking pot with sorghum, ten cups water, coconut oil and spices.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.
- Add the bulghur and veggies; continue cooking for 45 minutes more.
- Mixture should be about as thick as baked beans so add water if necessary and cook until beans and grains are tender.
- Serve as a vegetarian main dish (grain porridge) or as a side dish for other foods, such as piri piri shrimp.
Notes
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