Recipes

[Zee Bee 61]

Zee you are right on time. Samuel asked me just last Sunday if there are any stores that sell Ghanaian food. I cannot find any here in Cleveland. The closest restaurant I found was in Washington DC and there is a store in Cincinnati that I went to while I was in school. But to travel four hours just does not seem economical. He asked me to see if I can find "Banku". I hope I spelled that right. Do you know what that is? I also need to find the spices that his Mom used while I was in Ghana. I talked to her on the phone, but my Twi is limited so I could not understand. Any suggestions would be great!

Thanks for the thread!!!

In know that there are some stores that sell actual Banku flour (you spelled it right ) with directions on them. Also, instead of buying Banku flour you can buy plain old corn flour and then go from there (which I think tastes much better). I just need to find the right consistency though. When I figure that out I will post

Hey all, I have a recipe for Ghanaian style french fries and ketchup...

Hot Tomato Sauce (Ketchup)

In a blender, blend:

1 tomato chopped

1 habanero pepper (medium sized)

After blending chop up 2-3 more tomatoes. Add this mixture to the already blended tomato/pepper mixture. Add 1/4 white onion, chopped to this mixture and blend for 15-20 seconds until everything has pureed together but is still kind of chunky. At this point I usually add a bit of salt, to taste.

Fried Yam (Fries)

For this you will need Ghana or Colombian Yam (NOT American sweet potatoes), which you can find in any international market. If you absolutely can't find, then use regular potatoes.

Peel the yam and cut into 1/2 moon shapes about 2-3 inches across. Toss cut pieces of yam w/ a little bit of water w/ salt mixed in (not too much salt though!). Let them sit for 5-10 minutes and then drain. Meanwhile, heat about 1/4-1/2 inch of olive oil in a skillet. When hot fry yam in batches, one layer deep. They are ready when they turn golden brown. Drain them on papertowel.

Serve w/ tomato sauce and some chopped iceberg lettuce. Yummy!

I've never had that, but it sounds good. Thanks for the recipe.

Is it true that if you take the seeds out of the hot peppers it reduces the fire?

Yumm, I love the hot tomato sauce!! Thanks

Zainab...if you take the seeds out it does reduce the hottness

[Nana_Afia_B 0]

About Banku...when my husband and I make it here's our mixture...

3-4 days prior:

Take one bag of cornmeal (like the size of a bag of all-purpose flour) and mix with water in a large stew pot. consistency should be about like, mush or oatmeal. Mix the two together cover the pot and put in a cool, dark place to ferment for 3-4 days.

When we do it this way, we divide the fermented cornmeal into batches and put each batch into a plastic, grocery bag (about 4-5 cups each bag). This way, we can freeze what we won't immediately use. From one bag of cornmeal, you should get about 4-5 individual batches. Freeze the extras and use only one.

The mixture:

Take Cornmeal and put in blender and mix w/ water until liquid (not too runny)! Pour this into a separate bowl. Then you will need fresh cassava (Yuca/Blanca Cassava). Peel and chop the cassava and put into the blender. Add water and blend until liquid. The ratio of cassava liquid to cornmeal liquid is about 40(cassava):60(cornmeal). Season the mixture with salt to taste.

To actually make, you will need to continually stir and taste the mixture. Adding water as it gets thick. It's really hard to explain this step...The best way to learn is to have someone show/help you. I hope the mixture helps you get started!

[xoxo 0]

Hi

my auntie made some fried rice for xmas it was the bomb too. go to afrofoodtv.com a girl name yeti in atlanta makes it u can watch her on screen how she prepares it. I know she used chicken stock to boil the rice to give it that flavor. but yeas check it out she made some nice fried rice.

[Ricca711 1]

About Banku...when my husband and I make it here's our mixture...

3-4 days prior:

Take one bag of cornmeal (like the size of a bag of all-purpose flour) and mix with water in a large stew pot. consistency should be about like, mush or oatmeal. Mix the two together cover the pot and put in a cool, dark place to ferment for 3-4 days.

When we do it this way, we divide the fermented cornmeal into batches and put each batch into a plastic, grocery bag (about 4-5 cups each bag). This way, we can freeze what we won't immediately use. From one bag of cornmeal, you should get about 4-5 individual batches. Freeze the extras and use only one.

The mixture:

Take Cornmeal and put in blender and mix w/ water until liquid (not too runny)! Pour this into a separate bowl. Then you will need fresh cassava (Yuca/Blanca Cassava). Peel and chop the cassava and put into the blender. Add water and blend until liquid. The ratio of cassava liquid to cornmeal liquid is about 40(cassava):60(cornmeal). Season the mixture with salt to taste.

To actually make, you will need to continually stir and taste the mixture. Adding water as it gets thick. It's really hard to explain this step...The best way to learn is to have someone show/help you. I hope the mixture helps you get started!

Looks like I have a lot to learn. Thanks so much....I am going to print this out and start practicing. I don't want Samuel to be rushed to the hospital from my attempt to cook Ghanaian dishes. LOL!!!

[blah0323 0]

Hi

afrofoodtv.com

Thanks for sharing this. I'm such a visual, this will assist me in improving my African dishes.

Tracey

[Queen Jenn 0]

Is it true that if you take the seeds out of the hot peppers it reduces the fire?

Yes, the seeds hold a lot of the "fire." I LOVE hot foods, but my tummy is pretty sensitive. I'm sure that my SO will think I don't make things hot enough

[Queen Jenn 0]

OK, since I don't know how to cook African foods yet (and I stress YET), I'll share one of my favorite recipes with you. It's for fresh salsa (I love Mexican food).

10 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/4 white onion, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper (or other variety of hot pepper should work), seeded and chopped

juice of 1/2 lime

1-2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (you should be able to find cilantro in the supermarket)

salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together. Serve with tortilla chips (or you can put it on tacos, burritos, or any other Mexican dish).

[blah0323 0]

This is my favorite so far............

OKRA SOUP (served with fufu)

20 oz pack of defrosted chopped Okra

1/2 lb. thickly cut (1 inch thick) beef

1/2 lb. chicken breast (cut into slices or cubes)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 of onion, chopped

1/2 tablespoon seasoned salt

salt to taste

about 6-1/2 cups water

1/8 cup canola oil (I use it instead of palm oil)

4 Maggi or other brand bullion cubes

6 to 8 dashes of Maggi seasoning sauce

red pepper to taste

1. Season beef and chicken with onion, garlic, & salt in 4-6 quart pot

2. Add water. Bring to a boil and then cook on medium heat for 40 minutes.

3. Add oil, maggi cubes, pepper. Boil on med-high about 15 minutes.

4. Stir in okra and boil on med-high about 10 minutes.

[Perseverance 1]

This is my favorite so far............

OKRA SOUP (served with fufu)

20 oz pack of defrosted chopped Okra

1/2 lb. thickly cut (1 inch thick) beef

1/2 lb. chicken breast (cut into slices or cubes)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 of onion, chopped

1/2 tablespoon seasoned salt

salt to taste

about 6-1/2 cups water

1/8 cup canola oil (I use it instead of palm oil)

4 Maggi or other brand bullion cubes

6 to 8 dashes of Maggi seasoning sauce

red pepper to taste

1. Season beef and chicken with onion, garlic, & salt in 4-6 quart pot

2. Add water. Bring to a boil and then cook on medium heat for 40 minutes.

3. Add oil, maggi cubes, pepper. Boil on med-high about 15 minutes.

4. Stir in okra and boil on med-high about 10 minutes.

I use Palm Oil and some fresh Roma Tomatoes...

I fry the meat in the Palm oil with the onions and a couple of hot peppers (diced) when meat is cooked I add the Okra (I defrost it a bit and then out it in the cuisen chopper to cut it up more) I add the Okra and the fresh Tomatoes (cut up) a cup of water and a maggi cube let that slow boil for about ten min and I serve with Pounded Yam, I like the okra a lot, that was the first thing I figured out how to make...from watching him...he came home one day and surprize look what I did!

[Perseverance 1]

So to make basic "stew" is pretty easy too. I dont really measure anything, I kinda just do it LOL.

I cube some beef (you dont have to use meat or you can use another kind of meat) I put the meat in a pot with some oil about 1/4-1/3 cup. I add about 1/2-3/4 red onion sliced not diced, but the slices not too big or long (sorry like I said I just do it) I fry the meat and the onion in the oil I use some garlic salt just like shake shake over the meat. I also use a few hot peppers diced and put them in the mix. When the meat is pretty browned and realativly cooked I add a small can on Tomato paste 6oz. You fry the paste with the rest of your stuff in the pot. The key to the right taste is the right amount of frying time. If you dont fry long enough it wont taste right. So about 10-15 minutes. Then I add a cup of water and a few cut up fresh Roma Tomatoes( quater them and then slice the quarters) let all that simmer for another 10-15 serve with steamed rice.

It is an easy one just make sure you fry the paste long enough or it wont really have the right taste.

you need:

1 red onion

meat (depending on your taste and how much meat you like in your stew)

2-3 hot peppers (again depending on the degree of heat that you like and the type of peppers you use)

2-3 roma tomatoes

6oz can of tomato paste

1/4-1/3 cup of oil ( I use canola)

cup of water

** if you use alot of peppers be careful when you are frying them not to choke yourself with the steam from those little hot babies**

Good Luck

[Nana_Afia_B 0]

I have another variation of the basic stew, from which you can make a lot of different Ghanaian dishes. (many Gh dishes start w/ the trinity - oil, onions, tomato and hot peppers)

1. Coat bottom of Dutch oven style pan w/ olive oil. Slice 1/2 white onion and add to the pot. Brown onions.

2. While onions browning chop tomatoes and blend in blender. The blended mixture should be an inch or so below the lid. If you want to add a couple of habaneros, now would be the time.

3. By this time your onions should be browned. Pour the tomato blend over top, crank the heat to high and put a lid on it!

4. The basic tomato stew is ready when the water has cooked off and it has thickened and reduced by about half.

Variations

With the basic tomato stew you can make many different dishes:

Shrimp w/ peppers:

I use the 41-50 count cooked shrimp you buy in the grocery but you can also make this with stew beef. Add the shrimp to the tomato sauce when it has reduced. At this point I also add seasonings (i.e Lawrys, Adobo, etc...). The shrimp has a lot of water, so cook down until it has cooked back down. Also, if I'm making this I would have chopped my yellow, red, and green peppers while the tomatoes cooked. For this I usually use 9-10 peppers, usually more green than yellow or red because I don't want the stew to be sweet. However you do it, cut enough peppers to fill to the top of the pot and stir as best you can to cover in the tomato stew. Cook until the peppers have softened and the stew has reduced. Note:peppers have a LOT of water so this may take a while.

Cabbage Stew:

Same as shrimp w/ peppers except add diced smoked turkey meat (about two drumsticks worth) to the tomato sauce and chop up one head of cabbage to add just like you would the peppers. Stir and cook down.

Hope you Enjoy....We Do!!

[Bassi and Zainab 1]

I have another variation of the basic stew, from which you can make a lot of different Ghanaian dishes. (many Gh dishes start w/ the trinity - oil, onions, tomato and hot peppers)

Thanks alot. It's nice to have a basic and for this you can do whatever you want. For people who are comfortable in the kitchen they can make any kind of stew from this recipe. Thanks alot. We're waiting for Zee's mom for a kenkey recipe. If you have one, please share it.

[blah0323 0]

This is my favorite so far............

OKRA SOUP (served with fufu)

20 oz pack of defrosted chopped Okra

1/2 lb. thickly cut (1 inch thick) beef

1/2 lb. chicken breast (cut into slices or cubes)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 of onion, chopped

1/2 tablespoon seasoned salt

salt to taste

about 6-1/2 cups water

1/8 cup canola oil (I use it instead of palm oil)

4 Maggi or other brand bullion cubes

6 to 8 dashes of Maggi seasoning sauce

red pepper to taste

1. Season beef and chicken with onion, garlic, & salt in 4-6 quart pot

2. Add water. Bring to a boil and then cook on medium heat for 40 minutes.

3. Add oil, maggi cubes, pepper. Boil on med-high about 15 minutes.

4. Stir in okra and boil on med-high about 10 minutes.

I use Palm Oil and some fresh Roma Tomatoes...

I fry the meat in the Palm oil with the onions and a couple of hot peppers (diced) when meat is cooked I add the Okra (I defrost it a bit and then out it in the cuisen chopper to cut it up more) I add the Okra and the fresh Tomatoes (cut up) a cup of water and a maggi cube let that slow boil for about ten min and I serve with Pounded Yam, I like the okra a lot, that was the first thing I figured out how to make...from watching him...he came home one day and surprize look what I did!

This was my first dish I made as well. I sometimes chop up some spinach in there as well, just because I loves me some veggies and he says he just want more carbs/starches......lol

[JJWashington 0]

Thanks for all the ideas. I am going to attempt my first dish this weekend. I'll let yall know the results.

[Zee Bee 61]

I have another variation of the basic stew, from which you can make a lot of different Ghanaian dishes. (many Gh dishes start w/ the trinity - oil, onions, tomato and hot peppers)

Thanks alot. It's nice to have a basic and for this you can do whatever you want. For people who are comfortable in the kitchen they can make any kind of stew from this recipe. Thanks alot. We're waiting for Zee's mom for a kenkey recipe. If you have one, please share it.

I keep forgetting to ask