DISH RESEARCH · Main dish
Ilenga Lenga
Stewed amaranth greens with tomato, aromatics and optional beef and peanut powder.
About Ilenga Lenga
Lenga lenga is an amaranth-green preparation in Burundian cooking. Imelde Nduwimana shares this version through the Canadian Museum of Immigration, drawing on the food traditions she brought from Burundi.
Onion, garlic and tomato flavour the greens. Beef, peanut powder, paprika and turmeric are optional, allowing additional savoury richness, nuttiness or spice.
The greens soften into a moist stew with pieces of tomato and green pepper. Rice is the first suggested accompaniment, providing a gentle contrast to the leafy mixture. The finished dish is served hot.
Allergens in this recipe
Optional additions: Peanuts.
Other allergen details are unconfirmed.
Ingredients vary by restaurant. Confirm your allergens with staff before ordering.
Ingredients in Ilenga Lenga
Imelde Nduwimana’s Burundian lenga lenga.
- Lenga lenga greensBase
- OnionAromatic
- OilCooking medium
- GarlicAromatic
- Green pepperBaseIngredient page not linked
- SaltSeasoning
- BeefProtein · Optional
- Peanut powderSeasoning · Optional
- Pima powder (paprika)Seasoning · Optional
- TomatoesBase
- Turmeric powderSeasoning · Optional
- WaterLiquid
- Prepared riceAccompaniment
Ingredient details & uncertainties
Allergen information is incomplete. Unconfirmed details do not establish that an allergen is absent.
- Lenga lenga greens: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Primary names lenga lenga; independent Burundian tourism text identifies Ilenga lenga as green amaranth. Botanical species unprovided.
- Onion: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Oil: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Generic cooking oil; botanical source/blend unknown.
- Garlic: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Green pepper: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. English chopped green pepper, French poivre vert; exact pepper identity unresolved, no forced bell/chilli/peppercorn mapping.
- Salt: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Required seasoning includes any conditional extra adjustment.
- Beef (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Optional meat; first beef choice retained before fish or combined branch.
- Peanut powder (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Peanuts source-confirmed. Named peanut powder supports Peanuts; broader peanut candidate retains powdered form without assuming defatting.
- Pima powder (paprika) (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Primary explicitly glosses Pima powder as paprika and method conditions its use.
- Tomatoes: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Turmeric powder (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Ingredient list explicitly optional; broader turmeric candidate with ground form retained. Organic descriptor is not certification evidence.
- Water: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Literal greens boiling water in method.
- Prepared rice: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. First final serving choice before ugali or preferred side. Broader cooked-rice mapping; upstream cooked-rice formula unknown.
Origins & food traditions
Ilenga lenga is a green-amaranth dish in Burundian cooking, with connections to neighbouring food traditions.
Countries
- Burundi
- BurundiCatalogue link pending review
Cuisines & regions
- Burundian Cuisine