Stir-Fried Bora
One of my favorite Guyanese vegetarian dishes is fried bora. Bora is the term that Guyanese people use for long beans that are available in Asian markets. Some other names for it in markets are bodie (Trinidad), long-podded cowpeas, asparagus beans, snake beans, or Chinese long beans. Although Bora might look like a longer version of green beans, they have a totally different flavor. While green beans have a sweet taste to them, bora has a more bean-like taste. Bora belongs to the legume family and are closely related to black-eyed peas, which are also prominent in Guyanese cuisine. Bora can be steamed, stir-fried, or added to stews. They tend to keep their bright color and firm texture when cooked. Bora is also very nutritious- it is a good source of protein, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, iron, phosphorus, and potassium, and a very good source of vitamin C, folate, magnesium, and manganese (1). My favorite way to enjoy bora is the way my mom always makes it- stir fried with potatoes and fresh tomatoes.
To make this delicious and healthy dish, you’ll first need to wash and dry your bora. Once its clean, trim off the ends (~1/2 inch on both ends).
Fried Bora Recipe
(Makes about 5 servings)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup of green seasoning aka grind up (~1.5 pot spoons for my Guyanese people)
2 tsp tomato paste
Half a small onion, chopped
Vegetable oil (~4tbsp)
2 small potatoes cut into half inch pieces
2 bunches of Bora aka long beans (washed and cut into 1-inch pieces)
2 small tomatoes cut into quarters
Directions:
1- Wash and cut the bora aka long beans.
2- Add grind up aka green seasoning and tomato paste to a small bowl. Add in onions and mix.
3- Add mixture to pot with warm vegetable oil and cook on medium high heat for a few minutes until onions soften. Stir occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
4- Add potatoes and mix. Cover and cook for 10 mins or until a fork can pierce the potatoes halfway through. Stir occasionally.(If the potatoes still need to cook, and is sticking to the bottom of the pot, you can add 1/4 cup of water and cook a bit longer).
5-Add bora and mix. Cover and cook for ~15 minutes until almost fully cooked. Stir occasionally.
6-Add in tomatoes and season with salt. Mix, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.