This is my favorite order at African restaurants, where my husband (who doesn’t like black-eyed peas) always gets chicken. More for me! The first time I made this dish of stewed beans (ewa riro), after scouring the internet and cookbooks for recipes, my version tasted plain compared to what I had eaten, so I turned to Ozoz Sokoh, who writes The Kitchen Butterfly blog from her home in Lagos. She turned me on to grains of selim, also known as African pepper, Negro pepper, and Guinea pepper, which add a mysterious muskiness and more of the depth some traditional recipes accomplish with smoked turkey or dried crawfish. I got an in-person lesson from Oyin Akinkugbe, owner of DC’s ZK Lounge and West African Grill. Her most emphatic points: make sure the beans are cooked until they are very tender and be generous with the palm oil, which lends the dish an earthy flavor and reddish color. Serve with fried ripe plantains (dodo) and rice.

If you're struggling to find bean protocol recipes, here are 25 amazing dishes that you'll make every week that will keep you satisfied and healthy!

With a base of 15 different beans, a blend of spices, bacon, onion, celery, and diced tomatoes, this recipe is a hearty and satisfying way to welcome in soup season!

Selected work by London-based illustrator Kyle Platts.