TOM BROWN (ROASTED CORN MEAL PORRIDGE)

TOM BROWN (ROASTED CORN MEAL PORRIDGE)

Until I find out why this roasted corn meal porridge, is known as ‘Tom Brown’, I’ll settle with the  notion due to ‘its distinctive  brown colour’. Please feel free to share your knowledge behind the name.

Anyway, as most Ghanaian dishes go, they’re mostly gluten free including this nutty porridge. Tom Brown is made from corn on the cob, that’s dried, separated from the cob, roasted till brown but not popped  and milled into flour.

This is one of the simplest dishes to make, however its easier to get it wrong. The probability of ending up with a lumpy porridge is highly likely, if you don’t follow this recipe. This is a tried and tested recipe.

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This dish was one of the first meals I learnt to cook from my Mama and it  always emanates a feel good reaction each time I make it. Don’t get me wrong, my first few experiences were disastrous , however persistency prevailed , hence writing the perfect recipe now.

Tom Brown is best served alongside freshly, baked, soft bread, smeared with butter. Drizzle the finished product with evaporated milk or fresh milk. If you’re using fresh milk, please reduce the quantity of liquid added to the porridge by the same amount of milk.

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Tips:

* Mix the roasted corn flour in cold water  (till its well combined) prior to adding it to the simmering water.

* The water on fire should be simmering and not boiling, This allows the mixture to warm up and thicken gradually, hence prevents any lumps from forming.

* Consistently stir the mixture to avoid any lumps.

* Best served hot with a slice of Butter or Tea bread.

 

INGREDIENTS:

100g of roasted corn flour

20g of Peanut flour or 1 tablespoonful of Peanut/ Groundnut paste.

Half a teaspoon of Cayenne pepper  (Optional)

Half a teaspoon of Ginger powder (Optional)

1 tablespoonful of Brown sugar

Pinch of salt to taste

 

METHOD:

Watch how to make this nutty porridge below; Don’t forget to subscribe, like the video, comment with feedbacks and please share with family and friends.

SMOKY HALLOUMI JOLLOF RICE

SMOKY HALLOUMI JOLLOF RICE

Staring at my clock, realising I had 15 minutes to leave the house and  no packed  lunch for the office , prompted my abrupt  decision.

Before I could talk my self out of cooking something from scratch, I found myself washing the rice, warming the stew up and basically making Jollof rice for my lunch.

Looking back that was a crazy decision, coupled with the fact that I decided to film the recipe as well. I knew once everything was mixed in, it was a matter of trapping the the steam to cook the rice quickly . I rinsed the rice till the water was clear and steeped it in hot water. Once I had fried the Halloumi, warmed the stew up, added the rice and water, I knew I couldn’t back down from my decision.

 

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Surprisingly it was one of the best meals I’ve cooked and my husband polished the rest off before I could say ‘NOOO’!

The choice of rice for this recipe was Basmati rice, however you can use your preferred rice. Be creative with the flavours by adding fresh herbs, when the Jollof is done. Adding some diced Tomatoes and sliced Onions will give this dish that extra crunch.

You can also use Wagashi if you don’t have access to Halloumi. Wagashi is commonly found at Nima market and has a similar taste to Halloumi . Wagashi has a light and fluffy texture in comparison to Halloumi.

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INGREDIENTS

To make this quick Vegetarian Jollof recipe, you’ll need the following;

300g of the Smoky Salsa sauce

1 mediums sized sliced Onion

1 teaspoonful of Coconut oil

200g of diced  Halloumi or Wagashi

10g of chopped Coriander, Parsley or Greek Basil

1 levelled teaspoon of salt

250ml of Water or Vegetable stock

300g of Basmati rice

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Method;

Watch how to make this quick and equally delicious recipe below;

 

SMOKY FLAT BREAD PIZZA

SMOKY FLAT BREAD PIZZA

Interestingly Pizza is a favourite dish consumed in Ghana. It’s populariy over the years across the country has encouraged a few Pizzerias across the country.

The idea of making my own Pizza with the flavours I love encouraged me to create this recipe. The smokiness was inspired by my Mum’s char grilling of Tomatoes for sauces and a friends advise on how to get the stone baked smoky flavour for my flat bread.

With these knowledge I combined the two processes and ended up with a flavour packed customised Pizza that’s easy to emulate.

The bread mix includes natural Yoghurt, which gives the dough a nice tangy flavour and makes it soft.

 

I’ve started the ‘Ndudu by Fafa Simple supper series’ to encourage everyone to cook from scratch with the help of my Kitchen hacks.

Tip: When baking bread, please don’t add salt directly to the yeast. It kills the yeast.

One can be creative about the toppings they use for their Pizza. Try using The Ghanaian smoked Tuna, Keta  School boys etc as an alternative. You can omit the Cheese if you don’t have access to it, since the smoky salsa is packed full of flavour.

I’ll encourage you to subscribe to my YouTube channel, ‘Ndudu by Fafa’ to avoid missing any episodes. I’ll appreciate your help in growing the channel by liking the videos, trying the recipes, commenting with your feedback and also sharing the videos with your family and friends.

The first episode of the series was making of the smoky sauce , which I’ll be using to make this Pizza.

 

Ingredients

330g of bread flour

1 tablespoonful of  natural Yoghurt

2 tablespoonful of Olive oil

10g of yeast

Salt to taste.

Extra Mature Cheddar or Mozzarella

Oregano/ Parsley/ Coriander

100g of the Smoky salsa sauce

Choice of your own toppings

Method

Watch how to prepare your own Pizza with easy to follow step by step guide.

Find more inspiring recipes on my Food blog http://www.ndudu-by-fafa.blogspot.com

NDUDU’S SMOKY SALSA RECIPE

NDUDU’S SMOKY SALSA RECIPE

This recipe is inspired by both the Ghanaian raw pepper recipe and my Mums advise of using Char grilled Tomatoes for cooking.

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This is my ‘go to’ sauce that keeps for up to a weak in the fridge, in an airtight container. You can include Beef stock cube for a meaty flavour or omit it altogether for a vegetarian version.

Charring the Tomatoes enhances its natural sweetness and incorporates a smoky flavour to your sauce. You can enjoy the sauce without frying it, however frying it in Coconut oil gives the sauce a distinctive taste.

Ingredients

3 large charred Tomatoes

1 tablespoonful of Chilli flakes (You can reduce the amount to your heat tolerance).

1 large Onion

20g of peeled and chopped Ginger

1 teaspoonful of Aniseed

1 small Beef stock cube (optional)

1 tablespoonful of Coconut oil

Salt to taste.

 

Method

Add the Ginger, Aniseed , Beef stock cube and  half the Onion to a blender. Blend into a silky smooth consistency.

Add the remaining Onion, Chilli flakes , Charred Tomatoes and half a teaspoon of salt. Using the medium to lowest setting of your blender, blend everything into a rough consistency.

Place a saucepan on a medium heat and melt the Coconut oil. Add the spicy Tomato mixture and fry on a medium to low heat for about 15-18 minutes or until the oil separates from the mixture.

Leave it to cool down and reserve it in an airtight container for at most 7 days and use when a recipe requires it.

Watch how to make this sauce on my YouTube channel, ‘Ndudu by Fafa’ and don’t forget to subscribe and share.