West African Food – FAFA GILBERT

Easy Vegan Papaya /Pawpaw Pudding

February 18, 2021by Fafa GilbertLeave a Comment

During one of my many conversations with Mum, she revealed her favourite childhood Vegan pudding Grandpa made for the family. A pudding made from fresh Corn, Peanuts and sweetened with ripened PawPaw (Papaya). that were all harvested from the farm.

When Mums vibration of pitch heightens, I know it’s a great memory of hers and I feel more connected hearing her tales. She emphasised the pudding was a treat that GrandPa treated the family to as a thank you for their hard work at the farm.

Mum explained during her childhood Sugar was an expensive ingredient, hence they relied on fruits and vegetables such as , Papaya, Pineapple Sweet Potatoes etc to sweeten most of their dishes.

I wanted to recreate that feeling and memory again for Mum, particularly when my Aunties from the Togolese side of my family visited (pre Corona era).

I quickly got the 3 main ingredients required for the recipe and under the tutelage of Mum recreated her childhood fond memory.

The stories and fondness associated with this pudding meant I had to share this recipe as it has become one of my favourite all natural pudding.

Inspired by this memory I created another version

INGREDIENTS

200g of soaked Raw Peanuts for a minimum of 2 hours

300g of fresh Corn Kernels

1 litre of Water

1 large ripened PawPaw/Papaya

Pinch of Salt to taste

METHOD

Watch how to prepare this PawPaw/Papaya pudding recipe below;

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All photos, recipes and videos are by the owner of this blog.

Ndudu by Fafa, RECIPES

Chicken Confit Recipe

January 14, 2021by Fafa GilbertLeave a Comment

Nothing beats a moist, fall off the bone Chicken with crispy skin which is equally packed with flavours. A great way to preserve your Chicken for much longer. Shred the Chicken and use it for sandwiches or stir fries. To try this recipe you’ll need the following ;

INGREDIENTS

3 Chicken Legs

2 heaped tablespoonful of Sea Salt flakes

30g of sliced Ginger

5 crushed Star Anise or 1 tablespoonful of Aniseed

8 crushed All Spice pods

4 Grains of Selim pods

4 cloves of crushed Garlic

30g of Thyme

10 Cloves

3 Bay Leaves

1 tablespoonful of Black Peppercorns

2 litres of Olive oil or Duck fat

TO SERVE

Best served with mashed Potatoes, Beans or Ratatouille.

METHOD

Watch how to preserve, spice and cook your perfect Chicken Confit below;

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All photos, recipes and videos are by the owner of this blog.

LIFESTYLE

FAFA’S MUTTON STEW

June 18, 2017June 18, 2017by Fafa Gilbert5 Comments

Most West African dishes can be time consuming when preparing , however the sacrifice is worth the amazing flavourful dish at the end.

I love blending various cultures in my cooking, ending up with unique and inspiring recipes. This stew is a blend of the Nigerian Ayamase and Ghanaian Tomato stew, (it’s that Ndudu twist thing).

I picked various elements of each dish to create this delicious recipe. I attempted amalgamating the names , however it was a mouthful, hence my choice of an apt description.

The Ayamase sauce is made with Green peppers, locust beans, Onions, Crayfish and Chillies etc and fried in Palm oil. The Ghanaian Tomato stew is a blend of Tomatoes, Ginger, Garlic ,Onions , spices etc…

The blend of these two cultures produces a darker , well spiced, sweeter and glossy looking stew.

It’s advisable to prepare this stew in large quantities (due to its time consuming nature) and freeze for when a recipe requires it.

The amount of oil required for this stew is more than usual, however it’s needed to fry the mixture into the required texture. Scoop off any excess oil and reserve it in the fridge, until a recipe requires it; e.g. making an Omelette etc..

Serves 6
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 2hrs 10 minutes
Marinating : 3-24 hrs

Mutton
Ingredients
600g of Mutton washed, cleaned and cut into sizeable chunks. 600ml of Beef or Chicken stock.

Marinade; 40ml of water
40g of Ginger
1 large Onion cut into chunks
1 teaspoon of Aniseed
3 cloves of peeled Garlic

Method
Place all the ingredients for the marinade in a blender.
Add about 40ml of water and blend to a smooth paste.

Mix half the marinade with the Mutton and fridge for a minimum of 3hrs.

The remaining marinade will be used for the stew.

Tip:
Marinating the mutton overnight allows the spices to infuse perfectly into the meat.

Transfer the marinated Mutton to a saucepan and steam on a gentle heat for 25 minutes.

Tip

When adding stock or water, add a little bit at a time. This allows the meat to cook in its own steam and retains its flavour.

Add 100ml of your preferred stock at a time and gently steam for another 30 minutes on a gentle heat. Once the meat is tender to taste it’s ready.

MUTTON STEW

INGREDIENTS

2 large Green Peppers

4 Green chillies

20g of Spring Onions

3 large sliced white Onions

60g of Tomato purée or paste

450g of blended plum tomatoes or tinned Tomatoes

The remaining marinade of Ginger , Onion, Aniseed and Garlic blend

30ml of Sunflower , Rapeseed or Coconut oil

1 large finely sliced Habanero chilli

1 shrimp stock cube (optional) or a tablespoonful of powdered shrimp or crayfish

Salt to taste

METHOD

Add your preferred oil to a Wok or Saucepan and place on a medium heat for 2 minutes.

Add the sliced Onions and fry for 3 minutes. Add the steamed Mutton and fry gently for 7 minutes or until the meat browns.

Add the remaining blended Ginger mix and fry for another 4 minutes.

Blend the green peppers, green chillies, spring Onions and shrimp cube to a smooth paste.

Tip

To cut the cooking time in half microwave the green pepper mixture and your blended Tomatoes for 10-15 minutes

Add the blended green pepper and chilli mix to the Mutton and fry gently for 15 minutes. Ensure you stir the mixture, to avoid it from catching to the bottom of your pan.

Add the Tomato purée , mix and fry for 4 minutes.

Note;

If you’re using crayfish or shrimp powder (instead of the stock cube);

Blend your tomatoes and crayfish or shrimp powder into a smooth consistency.

Tip Either microwave the blended Tomatoes to reduce its water content or use plum tomatoes which has less water content.

Mix everything together and cook for 25 minutes. Ensure you stir to avoid any burns.

Taste your sauce and if it requires any more salt add no more than a teaspoon of Sea Salt.

The stew is ready when the oil settles at the top and you have a dark rich marmalade consistency.

Let the stew completely cool down, scoop it into a container with its lid and refrigerate it overnight

Tip Refrigerate the stew overnight to allow all the spices to infuse. The stew it at its best when enjoyed a day after. Freeze any excess stew for no more than 3 months, until a recipe requires it.