East Africa · Side

Ibihaza (Pumpkin Stewed with Beans)

Name: Ibihaza (Pumpkin Stewed with Beans)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Rwanda
Ingredients: 800 g kabocha squash or sugar pumpkin, seeded and cut into 3.5 cm cubes (skin left on); 400 g cooked red kidney beans (or cranberry beans), drained with 100 ml cooking liquid reserved; 30 ml red palm oil (or sunflower oil); 1 piece large red onion, finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 3 pieces medium ripe plum tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped; 15 g tomato paste; 1 piece medium leek (white and pale green parts only), washed and thinly sliced; 350 ml vegetable broth or water; 6 g fine sea salt; 3 g freshly ground black pepper; 1 piece whole African habanero chili (pili-pili), pierced once with a fork

A comforting Rwandan agrarian harvest stew of tender squash and kidney beans simmered in a light, savory tomato broth.

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rwandavegetarianpumpkinbeansharvest

The story

Deeply rooted in the agricultural traditions of Rwanda's central plateau, Ibihaza is an ancient staple prepared primarily during the post-rainy-season pumpkin harvest. Agrarian households relied on the natural sweetness of local kabocha-style squash paired with iron-rich beans to sustain fieldwork during long days. A traditional culinary habit is using small, dense indigenous pumpkins cooked with their skins intact, which imparts an earthy depth and prevents the flesh from dissolving entirely into a purée during the simmering process.

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