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Nigerien · West African

Dambou

Vegetarian

Steamed grains tossed with fresh moringa leaves, onion, oil and crushed roasted peanuts. A light, green and savoury dish from Niger, eaten for lunch or dinner.

Dambou is a Nigerien main course, ready in about 35 minutes and made with couscous, moringa leaves and roasted peanuts. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Dambou steamed grains with moringa leaves, onions and meat on a plate
Photo: Saliousoft / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
15 min
Cook
20 min
Total
35 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
501

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Pour the boiling water over the couscous (opens in a new tab) with half the salt and 1 tbsp oil, cover and leave 5 minutes, then fluff.

    • 6 min

  2. Step 2

    Wash the moringa leaves (opens in a new tab), mix them into the couscous (opens in a new tab) and steam together for 10 minutes until the leaves are tender.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile fry the onion (opens in a new tab) in the remaining oil until soft and golden, then add the tomato (opens in a new tab) and chilli for 2 minutes.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Toss the steamed couscous (opens in a new tab) with the onion (opens in a new tab) mixture, crushed peanuts and remaining salt. Serve warm.

    • 2 min
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Niger · Commonly attributedDambou is made in Niger and northern Nigeria with millet, maize, rice or fonio granules; couscous is a modern shortcut.Also popular in NigeriaMore food from Niger
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Main courses · Side dishes
Cooking method
Steamed, Sautéed
Taste
herby, nutty, savoury, mild
Diet
Vegan · Dairy-free
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
With the listed swaps: No gluten ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Budget-friendly · Everyday
Cook more with
Couscous · Roasted peanuts · Onion · Tomato · Fresh red chilli
Techniques
Sautéing · Boiling · Steaming

Allergens

  • Contains: Peanutsfrom roasted peanuts
  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom couscous
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom couscous

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

501 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 286 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 14%
  • Carbohydrate 53%
  • Fat 33%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy501 kcal175 kcal
Protein17.3 g6.1 g
Carbohydrate68.2 g23.9 g
Net carbohydrate61.6 g21.6 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre6.6 g2.3 g
Fat18.8 g6.6 g
Saturated fat——
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium599 mg210 mg
Salt equivalent1.5 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
462 mg
Calcium
115 mg
Iron
2.7 mg
Magnesium
84 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
155 µg
Vitamin C
28 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
55 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Moringa leaves should be stripped from the stems just before cooking; wilted leaves taste bitter.

Common mistakes

  • Mixing in the onions while they are still raw-tasting — fry them until golden for the sweet, savoury base.

Serve with

  • Serve with a meat sauce or grilled meat, or on its own with a chilli sauce.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 2 days.

Reheating

  • Steam briefly or microwave covered.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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