Egbo

Instructions

1. The night before, pick over 120 g of dried white corn, rinse it in two changes of cold water, then cover generously with fresh cold water and leave to soak for 10-12 hours. In a second bowl, soak 70 g of dried black-eyed beans in cold water for 2 hours or overnight.
2. Drain the swollen corn and tip it into a heavy-based pot with 800 ml of water and 0.25 tsp of crushed potash. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to a steady simmer, cover, and cook for 75-90 minutes, stirring now and then and topping up with hot water so the corn is always just covered. The egbo is ready when the kernels have burst open and are soft and slightly chewy with no chalky centre.
3. Stir 0.25 tsp of salt into the corn for the last 10 minutes of cooking, then drain it in a colander, leaving it just moist. Keep it warm in the covered pot.
4. While the corn cooks, drain the beans, cover with fresh water in a small pot and boil hard for 10 minutes, then simmer 30-40 minutes with 0.25 tsp of salt until the skins loosen and the beans crush easily between your fingers. Drain, reserving 3-4 tablespoons of the cooking liquid.