Burkinabe Babenda (Leafy Green Stew)

Name: Burkinabe Babenda (Leafy Green Stew)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Burkina Faso
Ingredients: 4 cups fresh baobab or spinach leaves, chopped; 300g beef, cubed; 2 tbsp peanut butter; 1 onion, chopped; 2 tomatoes, chopped; 2 tbsp peanut oil; 1 tsp dried shrimp or crayfish powder; 2 cups water or beef stock; Salt and pepper to taste

4 servings20 min prep35 min cookMedium Burkina Faso

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Burkinabe Babenda (Leafy Green Stew)

Story updated September 17, 2026

Babenda, a stew of leafy greens such as baobab or sorrel leaves, is a traditional dish among the Mossi people, Burkina Faso's largest ethnic group, reflecting the Sahel region's reliance on wild and cultivated greens for nutrition in a challenging farming climate.

Ingredients

Scale:· 4 servings

4 cups fresh baobab or spinach leaves, chopped
300g beef, cubed
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp peanut oil
1 tsp dried shrimp or crayfish powder
2 cups water or beef stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1Heat peanut oil in a pot and brown the cubed beef with the chopped onion.
2Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they break down into a sauce.
3Pour in the water or stock and simmer until the beef is tender, about 20 minutes.
4Stir in the dried shrimp powder for a savory depth of flavor.
5Add the chopped greens and simmer until wilted and tender, about 10 minutes.
6Whisk in the peanut butter until the stew turns glossy and slightly thickened.
7Season with salt and pepper and simmer 5 more minutes.
8Serve hot over to or rice.

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