Cookbook:Bambara Bean

Bambara beans, also called bambara groundnuts, Congo goobers, or okpa, are the beans of Vigna subterranea.

Characteristics
Bambara beans, like peanuts, grow underground in pods. They are small and rounded, and their color can range from tan to brown to red. After the pods are harvested, they are allowed to dry in the sun. They may then be threshed or sold in pods. The soft and immature bean can be eaten fresh, but fully mature seeds become hard and require processing such as boiling or grinding to flour.

Use
The beans can be eaten fresh or dried. The dried beans can be eaten whole or ground into a flour. One common preparation method is to simply boil the beans in their pods before eating. The ground or crushed seeds may also be used to make doughs, fritters, porridges, and soups.