Recently I challenged myself to a taste test of recreating a West African Red Curry inspired by the classic Thai Red Curry.
Why would I even think of such a thing? Honestly I’ve always wondered why the Ghanaian Groundnut soup isn’t as popular as the Thai Red Curry as they both share a similar flavour profile.
The main difference between the creamy Ghanaian Groundnut soup and the Thai Red Curry in terms of flavour is the absence of Coconut milk, which gives the Thai Red Curry somewhat a sweeter taste.
On the day in question (where I experimented by substituting West African spices for the Thai spices), I omitted the Coconut Milk as I had none at home. Instead I added a tablespoon of the Caramelised flavour of the Ghanaian Honey which did lend its sweetness to the dish.
To make this recipe you’ll require the following INGREDIENTS;
1.2kg of whole Organic Chicken
2 tablespoonful of Ghanaian Groundnut Purée or smooth roasted Peanut Butter
1 tablespoonful of Sukoni / Nkitinkiti (Aniseed)
1 teaspoonful of grated DawaDawa (fermented Locust Beans)
6 Cubeb spice or 3 Calabash Nutmeg, 2 Grains of Selim pods and a teaspoon of Black Peppercorns
3 cloves of Garlic
3 large Banana Shallots or any Onion of your choosing
3 Bay leaves
1 tablespoonful of Shrimp or Crayfish powder
2 tablespoonful of Peanut Oil
30g of Ginger
1 teaspoonful of Cumin seeds
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 tablespoonful of Tomato Paste/Purée
2 Habanero Chillies and 5 Pettie Belle Chilies (KpakpoShito)
250ml of Coconut milk or 1 tablespoonful of the organic Ghanaian Honey
1 litre of Water / Chicken stock (increase the liquid by 250ml if you’re omitting Coconut milk)
Introducing a versatile recipe where you use either Potatoes or Yam. In the absence of Bolognese sauce you can try my crispy Corned Beef recipe or filling.
Let’s make this easy and equally tasty stuffed Potato Balls which requires a few ingredients;
250g of Bolognese Sauce / Corned Beef Filling
500g of Mashed Potatoes
1 cup of Panko Bread Crumbs
2 beaten Eggs
Half a cup of an All Purpose or Plain Flour
1 teaspoon of dried Rosemary
Optional sprig of Rosemary
300ml of Vegetable oil for deep frying
Salt and Pepper to taste
METHOD
Watch how to make this flavour packed stuffed Potatoes below;
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All photos, recipes and videos are by the owner of this blog.
The bright blue sky suddenly turned grey as I quickened my steps to get home. The heavy rain drops and strong winds did not spare me at all as I opened the door to get into the house.
After changing into warm clothes, I clicked the kettle on for a cup of Tea as I wished for the inclusion of Evaporated milk.
I settled for the whole milk in the fridge and eyed my homemade Condensed Milk (which I needed for another recipe).
Whilst sipping my Tea I became curious about how Evaporated Milk was made and I was convinced I needed a thickener for the Milk.
My research into the making of Evaporated Milk just advised to boil the milk but no mention of any thickeners.
I boiled the Milk and got that distinctive Evaporated Milk taste but not the thick consistency. I tried another method which then yielded both the flavour and texture.
For this recipe you’ll need only 1 ingredient;
2.2 litres of Organic Whole (Full Fat) milk (which yields 500ml of Evaporated Milk).
METHOD
Watch how to make this easy Evaporated Milk recipe below;
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The traditional Ghanaian Omelette has a natural sweet and spicy taste due to the inclusion of Onions, Tomatoes and Chillies.
This recipe introduces an umami flavour in the form of the Ghanaian Salted Beef to the traditional Omelette. To make this recipe you’ll need the following;
INGREDIENTS
1 large sliced Banana Shallot or Onion
15g of Salted Beef
1 Medium sized sliced Green Pepper
3 tablespoonful of Coconut Oil
5 medium heat Green Chillies
1 medium sized chopped Tomato
4 medium sized Eggs
TO SERVE
How about making your own Ghanaian Tea Bread
METHOD
Watch how to prepare this flavour packed Ghanaian Omelette below;
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Fridays are my days of indulgence and as such I created this aromatic Crispy Fried Chicken. I served this with some Yam fries , Green Chilli sauce and a side Salad. The Salad was to ease my guilt as I bit into each juicy crispy Chicken. Go ahead and treat yourself.
TIP
Please preheat your Oven to 140*c and place your fried Chicken in till you’re ready to eat. It keeps it warm whilst you fry your Chips.
INGREDIENTS
1kg of Chicken Drumsticks
1 teaspoonful of dried Rosemary
2 levelled tablespoon of freshly milled Black Peppercorns
5 tablespoonful of Greek or Natural Yoghurt/ Buttermilk or Kefir
1 tablespoonful of Green Chilli sauce
300ml of Vegetable oil for frying
Salt to taste
FLAVOURED FLOUR
1 cup of Plain flour or All Purpose flour
1 tablespoonful of Corn Starch
1 teaspoon of Salt
1 tablespoon of Chinese 5 spice mix (readily available in most grocers)
2 cups of Cold Water in a deep bowl
TO SERVE
Serve with Yam fries and Green Chilli sauce.
METHOD
Watch how to prepare this incredible Chicken recipe below;
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All photos, recipes and videos are by the owner of this blog.
In a previous post I shared my Bambara Beans and sweet ripened Plantain Akara (Beans & Plantain Fritters) recipe. I used half of the blended mixture for the fritters and the remaining half for a steamed version.
The blended and naturally flavoured batter was wrapped in Thaumatococcus Danielli (Green Leaves) and steamed. You can use either Plantain or Banana leaves instead.
In the absence of the above leaves you can use moulds as shown in the traditional MoinMoin recipe below;
Serve this steamed Beans and Plantain pudding with a chilled glass of Lemonade or Watermelon Lemonade (both recipes are available on my YouTube channel, ‘Ndudu by Fafa’).
Watch how to make this incredible flavour packed steamed Beans pudding below;
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All photos, recipes and videos are by the owner of this blog.
Honestly I wished I knew the individual who created this recipe for Ghana. This individual needs to be celebrated.
The textures and flavours of this rather simple Ghanaian dish is one you need to try.
FLAVOUR PROFILE
The creamy slightly sweet flavour of the Black Eyed Beans pairs well with the crunchy slightly fermented taste of the Gari including the candy like flavour of the fried Plantain.
The above flavour is then drizzled with a smoky and spicy Onion oil which makes it a Vegan powerhouse of flavour.
There’s another version of this recipe known locally as ‘Red Red’ as Red Palm Oil or Zomi (spiced Palm Oil) is used.
INGREDIENTS
250g of Black Eyed Beans
1.2 litres of Water
Salt to taste
FLAVOURED OIL
20ml of Coconut / Vegetable oil
1 large sliced Onion
5 chopped Green Chillies
Salt to taste
30g of Gari (grated fermented Cassava granules) or try my Breadcrumbs recipe
FRIED PLANTAIN
2 peeled and sliced Plantains
100ml of Vegetable Oil for frying
Salt to taste
METHOD
Watch how to prepare this classic Ghanaian Vegan dish below;
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All photos, recipes and videos are by the owner of this blog.
In celebration of a 64 year milestone, I created this Brown Rice recipe infusing both Ghana’s smoked Tilapia and Prawn Shito (Black Chilli oil).
In my previous post I made an all natural smoked Fish stock using smoked Tilapia.
The stock has been used as a base for this creative Rice dish. The recipe was inspired by both the classic Ghanaian Angwa Mo (spiced oil Rice) and Shinkafa (Brown Rice dish cooked in a Tomato and SeaFood stock).
The flavoured Brown Rice was served with Chicken stew and a side salad.
To make this creative Brown Rice Angwa Mo, you’ll need the following;
INGREDIENTS
750ml of the smoked Fish stock
200g of smoked Fish pieces
1 large sliced Onion
2 Bay leaves (optional). You can substitute it with Rosemary
300g of Brown Rice
4 tablespoonful of a Prawn based Shito (Black Chilli Oil)
Salt and Pepper to taste
METHOD
Watch how to prepare this all natural flavoured Brown Rice Angwa Mo below;
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All photos, recipes and videos are by the owner of this blog.
Saturday mornings meant my late Aunt Kate passed by our house with my cousins and in a convoy including Mum and I, we went to the market.
Honestly I can’t remember when this tradition started but it was one that I looked forward to, as I could chat and play with my cousins whilst we visited Malam Atta Market in Accra, Ghana.
Mum always bought loads of smoked Fish which had at least 3 large smoked Tilapia added to the basket.
Saturdays were cooking days in our household and one could practically spend the entire day picking leaves, beans, fanning the fire, washing the dishes, grinding spices on a stone, eating and packing all leftovers into the fridge and freezer respectively.
During my childhood, whilst Mum was cooking I watched as she added the smoked Tilapia, Water, Ginger, Garlic, Aniseed, Grains of Selim and Onions whilst I was fanning the Coal Pot.
The smoky fishy smell of the stock had a way of making my tummy rumble. The stock was either used to make Okro soup, Light soup or Groundnut soup.
The stock was Mum’s imprint inherited from her Mum, my Grandma.
Today I’m sharing a classic and basic smoked Fish stock recipe that Grandma made , which can be used as a base for most stews, soups, Rice dishes and practically anything that calls for stock.
This stock recipe has been kept simple where Ginger , Garlic and Aniseed have been excluded, as they can be added later or when a recipe requires it.
Introducing the first in the series of amazing West African natural flavours aptly called the ‘Sankofa Series’.
I’ll be delving deeper into the health benefits and more later.
For now enjoy this stock recipe. My next recipe which I’ll share tomorrow includes this Smoked Fish Stock and a traditional Ghanaian condiment.
INGREDIENTS
1 large smoked Tilapia (the best to use, however you can use any smoked Fish of your choosing)
1 large Onion
1 litre of Water
5 Grains of Selim (Hwentia/Etso)
10 Pettie Belle Chillies (Kpakposhito)
1 tablespoonful of Salt
METHOD
Watch how to prepare this all natural flavour packed stock below; which includes explanations of the flavours.
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All photos, recipes and videos are by the owner of this blog.
