Wednesday 29 November 2017

QUICK DOUGHNUT RECIPE (BOFLOT, BOFROT, PUFF PUFF, BEIGNETS)


I’ve written a few doughnut recipes over time and I still try to improve the recipe each time.
I craved for hot doughnuts one morning and I was put off by how long it took. I decided to mix everything together and use my warm oven to speed up the process of the dough rising. 

Whilst waiting for my dough to rise, I decided to compile a few do’s and don’ts when preparing your Boflot/ Puff Puff/ Beignets/ Botokoin/ Bofrot/ Doughnuts 



  1. Don’t use milk; as it browns the doughnuts quickly 
  2. Use Water instead; as it allows the doughnuts to cook through before browning.
  3. Your dough should double up in size within 45 minutes to an hour. 
  4. Allowing your dough to rise overnight increases the fermentation of the mixture. This will allow the doughnuts to soak in the oil when frying.
  5. Best to place your dough in a warm place to quicken the process of it rising. Warm yout Oven up to 180*c and switch it off. Place the covered dough on top of the door to your Oven. If you’re lucky enough and you live in a hot and sunny country, place your covered dough mixture in the sun instead.
  6. Heat your oil up on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Test the oil is perfect by frying one ball. The ball should rise to the surface within 10 seconds. When this happens you have the perfect oil temperature. 
  7. Ensure you shape the balls evenly to allow an even cook
  8. Don’t overload your saucepan when frying the doughnuts. This will decrease the temperature of the oil and the doughnuts will be filled with oil.
  9. Don’t share with anyone 🙈😜 Enjoy!
Please note this recipe is for the wet version, however you can watch how to make the dry version below;




INGREDIENTS 
225g of Plain flour
30g of melted Butter
Half a teaspoon of grated Nutmeg or Mace
1 teaspoon of Salt
3 tablespoons of Sugar
1 tablespoon of dry Yeast
110ml of Water
700ml of Vegetable oil

METHOD 
Armed with the above hacks, you should always make the best doughnut each time.
Watch how to make this quick doughnut recipe below;




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


Monday 27 November 2017

THE BEST TASTING SALTED BEEF RECIPE (TOLO BEEF)

Salted Beef is used in flavouring most Ghanaian dishes. The recipe for the Ghanaian salted Beef is elusive, however it’s usually pink in colour due to the inclusion of food dye. 


This recipe has been trialed and tested multiple times to achieve the perfect taste. 
The inclusion of spices into the curing process of the meat , gives the meat a musky and aromatic taste. 
The process took a month and it was worth the effort.
Enjoy!


INGREDIENTS 
350g of Sirloin steak
50g of Sea Salt
10 Grains of Selim pods
5 Star Anise or 1 teaspoonful of Aniseed.

METHOD 

Watch how to prepare your own salted Beef below;



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

Sunday 26 November 2017

SHOKO (A GHANAIAN BEEF & SPINACH STEW)


Shoko is a spicy Beef, Tomato and Spinach sauce from Ghana. The Tomato sauce is spiced with Garlic, Ginger and Aniseed; and cooked till you have a thick paste. This is a perfect dish for the cold months ahead.
Traditionally the amount of Chilli used is more, as it’s supposed to be very spicy. I’ve used 1 Habanero Chilli for this recipe which worked perfectly. You can reduce the amount of Chilli to your personal preference. 


Ingredients 

1 large Onion 
10ml of Vegetable oil or your preferred oil
200g of Tomatoes 
1 tablespoonful of Tomato paste or purée 
1 tablespoonful of a Garlic, Ginger & Aniseed blend
Half a Shrimp stock cube or a teaspoon of Shrimp powder 
1 large and sliced Habanero Chilli
400g of Spinach or Cocoyam leaves
Salt to taste

Method 
Enjoy this sauce and with either Rice, Yam or Potatoes.

PERFECT RICE RECIPE 



Watch how to make this sauce below;




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

CHINCHINGA (THE PERFECT GHANAIAN KHEBAB RECIPE)

Chinchinga (Beef Khebab) is one of the popular street food, you’ll find in most streets corners across Ghana. Chinchinga is made with either Beef or Goat meat marinated in the famous Suya spice and chargrilled. It’s best enjoyed with a chilled glass of Beer.




 Enjoy making your own Suya spice and proceed to make this famous and flavour packed Ghanaian Khebab.




Ingredients: 
Suya spice mix
350g of Sirloin steak
1 large Onion
1 large Green pepper
10 ml of Vegetable oil


Method:


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Thursday 23 November 2017

ROSEMARY INFUSED GRILLED RED SNAPPER

‘Can I have the Red Snapper, Barracuda and Sea Bass, please?’ 
I couldn’t control my excitement, when I discovered my local grocery shop had a  Fishmonger at the back of the shop. The Fishmonger had all the exotic Fishes, Seafood, live Crabs  etc. I was happy, cause the Red Snapper, Barracuda and Sea Bass, were the freshest I’ve seen in the UK.



The Fishmonger was welcoming, answered all my questions and followed my YouTube page immediately.
I decided to prepare  Shito (Black Chilli sauce from Ghana), infuse and grill the Red Snapper with Rosemary and have it with fried Yam chips. Yummy!


I reserved some of the Tomato sauce for the Shito; marinated the Red Snapper with the sauce, stuffed it with sprigs of Rosemary and grilled it for 18-25 minutes. Let’s start cooking;

Ingredients 
1 kg of cleaned and gutted Red Snapper 
4 tablespoonfuls of Smoky Salsa Sauce or spiced Tomato sauce for Shito
3 sprigs of Rosemary 
300g of peeled and cut Yam, lengthways into a chip shape
500ml of Vegetable Oil
Salt to taste

SMOKY SALSA SAUCE RECIPE 


Onion Salad
1 large Pink, White or Red Onion sliced thinly 
1 teaspoonful of Wine Vinegar
10g of finely chopped Parsley
Pinch of salt

Method 
Onion Salad
Mix everything together and serve immediately with the Grilled Snapper.

SHITO RECIPE 


Watch how to grill the Red Snapper and fry your Yam chips below;



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

Tuesday 21 November 2017

THE PERFECT RED BEANS & RICE RECIPE

In Ghana Waakye, is cooked with Black eyed Beans and Rice infused with Millet leaves, whereby in the Caribbean its Kidney Beans and Rice referred to as Rice and Peas. 



This recipe is a fusion of the two cultures with my own twist. 
I've used Red Beans for this recipe, which lends its deep colour to the dish. 
Ideally one can include bicarbonate of Soda to soften both the Rice and Beans which gives the dish a pliable texture. 


I've omitted the Bicarbonate of Soda in this recipe, as I find it alters the flavour of the Beans and kills some of the nutrients of the Beans. 
Anyway, this is a must try recipe which pairs perfectly with the Shito recipe. 



Tip
Best to soak your Beans overnight to quicken the cooking process
You can also soak your beans overnight with a teaspoon of Bicarbonate soda

Ingredients
250g of Red Beans
250g of Jasmine Rice
2.2 litres of water
1 levelled tablespoon of Salt
1 tablespoon of Coconut oil

Watch how to prepare this simple but equally delicious recipe. by clicking the link below;



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

Friday 17 November 2017

PERFECT MEAT PIE (TURNOVER) RECIPE

Meat Pies (popularly known in Ghana), are actually Meat Turnovers if we have to go by their definitions.

Turnovers are pastries where the fillings are placed in the middle of each individual dough, folded, sealed, crimped and baked. The fillings can be savoury or sweet and can be baked or fried.

Pies on the other hand are baked dishes typically in a pastry dough casing . They can be sweet or savoury and are defined by their crust. 




The 3 elements to achieving the perfect Meat Turnover is to have a crumbly moist pastry, a moist and generous filling and a flavour packed filling.

These elements are incorporated in this recipe and will guarantee you a perfect Turnover each time.

I’ve used Caraway seeds, Milk, Eggs and Yoghurt in this recipe to achieve the 3 elements the perfect Turnover requires.

The eggs add their moisture and richness to the pie, Caraway seeds adds a licorice flavour to the pie, with the Milk and Yoghurt adding moisture and flavour to the filing. 




This recipe is inspired by ‘Ghanaian Meat Pie’, however I’ve added my twist to create a perfect Turnover.
Try the recipe , leave a comment with your feedback and share with your family and friends.

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH
500g of Self Raising flour
250g of Butter
1 teaspoon of Salt
1 tablespoon of Caraway seeds
2 beaten Eggs
120ml of Milk

FILLING
1 large diced Onion
4 tablespoonfuls of Olive oil 
1 tablespoon of Butter
1 tablespoon of a Ginger, Onion and Aniseed blend
1 Shrimp stock cube
1 tablespoonful of flour
300g of Minced Meat
20g of chopped fresh Thyme  or 1 teaspoonful of dry Thyme. 
120ml of semi skimmed Milk
1 tablespoonful of natural Yoghurt 
Half a deseeded and finely chopped Habanero chilli
1 deseeded and diced Green pepper
1 deseeded and diced Red pepper

BRUSHING 
1 Egg yolk
2 tablespoonfuls of Evaporated milk or fresh milk

Watch how to prepare the perfect Meat Turnover below;




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Thursday 16 November 2017

KOKO and DOUGHNUT RECIPE

A bite into a hot doughnut , followed by a spoonful of the classic Ghanaian fermented cornmeal porridge , is a marriage of tongue rolling flavours coupled with  the 'abhorrent' behavior of spoon licking.



Don't be too hard on yourself, if you catch yourself licking the spoon, just shrug it off and enjoy each morsel. 




Watch how to create these delight if either the dry or wet doughnut with Koko in the comforts of your home. 
Good morning!

DRY DOUGHNUT RECIPE 




WET DOUGHNUT RECIPE 



KOKO RECIPE 


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Monday 13 November 2017

THE PERFECT OKRO and GARDEN EGG STEW RECIPE

The Garden eggs and Okra looked inviting and fresh, resulting in me buying some from my local grocer. 
My drive home included what I'd make out of my purchases. The decision to prepare Okra and Garden egg stew was quick, since I had some crabs and precooked spiced Lamb pieces left in my freezer.

The cooking time in making this dish was cut in half due to me precooking some elements of the dish, eg;
Tomato Passata and Steamed meat.




INGREDIENTS 
350g of chopped Okro
350g of Garden Eggs
1 large diced Onion
250g of Crabs

GINGER BLEND 1 (Crabs)
30g of peeled Ginger
1 large Onion
1 teaspoonful of Aniseed
1 Habanero chilli 

NDUDU’s PASSATA 
300g of Tomatoes 
2 cloves of Garlic 
20g of Ginger 

GINGER BLEND 2 (Lamb)
30g of peeled Ginger
1 teaspoonful of Aniseed 
1 teaspoonful of Carom seeds
1 large Onion 

500g of diced Lamb, Goat meat, Fish, Seafood  or any Poultry of your choosing 
20g of Tomato paste
4 tablespoonfuls of Vegetable oil or your preferred oil.
Salt to taste
Optional chopped Coriander for garnishing.

Method 


PASSATA
Blend the Tomato, Garlic and Onion into a smooth paste. 
Transfer the blended Tomato into a saucepan and place on a medium heat to simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes or until you have a thick double cream consistency.
Once cooled down, transfer the mixture into a container with a lid and use it when a recipe requires it.

STEAMED LAMB
Blend the Ginger. Onion, Aniseed and Carom seeds into a smooth paste.
Marinade the Lamb pieces for a minimum of 3 hours.
Transfer the meat into a saucepan and place on a medium to low heat. 
Cook on a low heat for an hour and use when a recipe requires it. 

Watch the full recipe on how to make this stew below;



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

Tuesday 7 November 2017

PINKASO (A GHANAIAN FRIED DUMPLING)

'Pinkaso' is a light crunchy, spiced, fried flour dumpling that's synonymous with the Hausa's from Ghana. It's enjoyed with Hausa Koko for breakfast and also as a savoury snack. 
 Onions and chillies are blended into a smooth paste and added to the flour to make the thick batter.

 
'Pinkaso' shares a similar taste to Pakoras and it's delicious. In this recipe, I've added finely chopped Onions for that extra crunch and sweetness; and the inclusion of the green parts of Spring Onions gives the Pinkaso a colourful look. 
The Spring Onions can be omitted and finely chopped green Chillies used instead.
Let's start cooking...

 

Ingredients
225g of self raising flour
185 ml of lukewarm water
7g of dry yeast
1 medium finely diced Onions
1 quartered large Onion 
2 finely diced Green chillies
Half a teaspoon of salt
500 ml of Sunflower oil for frying
200 ml of water for dipping in your fingers.

Method


In a bowl add the Salt, Flour and Yeast. Mix everything together till well combined.

Blend half the Chillies , the Water and quartered Onion into a smooth paste

Using a wooden spatula or clean hands, gently add the spiced warm water and mix till you have a sticky glossy thick paste. This should take about 8 - 10 minutes. 

Tip
Mixing the sticky dough till you have that glossy shine, activated the gluten in the flour. This ensures for a soft and airy Pinkaso . 

Add the finely chopped Onions and remaining Chillies and mix till well combined. 

Cover the bowl with a cling film and place it in a warm place to proof. This should take 45 minutes to an hour. Your mixture is ready when it's doubled up in size. 

Fill a wok or saucepan with the Sunflower oil and place on a medium heat till hot but not smoking hot. 

Test
It's imperative you fry the Pinkaso in hot oil , to prevent an oil filled Pinkaso. Test the oil is hot by dropping a tiny bit of the wet dough. If it sizzles, your oil is ready. 

Frying
Please take all necessary precautions when dealing with hot oil

Place a bowl of water next you, as its needed for shaping the Pinkaso into a ring format. 

Dip your fingers in the bowl of water and scoop a handful of the dough. Create a hole in the middle using your thumb. Carefully drop the mixture into the oil and repeat the process till the Wok is full. 

Tip
(Please don't be tempted to overfill the Wok/ Saucepan, as this will reduce the oils temperature, which in turn fills up the Pinkaso). 

Fry the Pinkaso for 3 minutes on each side and place on a blotted Kitchen paper to get rid of any excess oil. 

 

Serve immediately with Hausa Koko, Guacamole or Raita. 

Watch the full recipe below, on my YouTube channel, 'Ndudu by Fafa' and don't forget to subscribe. 








Hausa Koko Recipe

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


Sunday 5 November 2017

THE PERFECT SUGAR BREAD RECIPE

Imagine this 'warm, freshly baked Sugar bread, smeared with butter or Avocado and squeezed into a firm ball', wait...take a deep breath 'bite into it , chew , enjoy the different textures and flavours, sip a glass of chilled Coca Cola and repeat the process '....Is it finished yet? A great afternoon snack from my childhood, when one was too hungry to wait for lunch.

 

Try this then, 'fry some egg with Tomatoes, diced chilli and Onions; instead of using a bread knife , tear a big portion of the freshly baked Sugar bread, pull it apart, place the omelette in the middle (to make a sandwich), take a deep breath again, pray this time (long prayers at your own peril if you have hungry eyes lurking about) bite into it and sip on a cup of hot Cocoa, Milo or 'Tea'. This scenario here was my morning.

Ghana has varieties of bread from Brown bread, Butter bread, Tea bread, Sugar bread , flat breads and more recently multi seeded bread amongst other specialty breads. 
Tea bread has a delicate savoury taste and it best suits big flavoured fillings, whilst butter bread has the same consistency of Sugar bread but without the Sugar. 

Anyway, in paying homage to the ultimate Ghanaian breakfast of 'Chibom (Omelette), Milo & Sugar bread',
here is my Sugar bread recipe.

 

I've tried making Sugar bread countless of times and the difficulty lies in the texture and how quickly it browns (due to the sugar content). 
You can use caster sugar , however I prefer icing sugar for a smoother dough.

I've simplified and quickened the process by mixing everything together, which works perfectly. 
Traditionally, melted butter is used for this recipe, however I prefer to use Olive oil as it gives the bread a depth of flavour. 

 

This is a tried and tested recipe and guarantees you a perfect, fluffy, well risen, soft and pliable bread.

 I'm sure you'll be inspired to make your own breads after trying this recipe. 
Gain a great sense of achievement with the added benefits of the aroma of fresh baking bread filling your home and a loaf,  free from all additives. 

 Enjoy!

 

Ingredients 
410g of Strong White flour
110g of icing Sugar
Half a teaspoon of ground Mace or Nutmeg 
20g of dry active yeast
40ml of Olive oil or melted butter
200ml of lukewarm water
A pinch of Salt

20g of flour for dusting 
A tablespoonful of Olive oil or melted butter for greasing the baking tin.



Method 
 

In a mixing bowl add the salt, Sugar, Nutmeg or Mace,  flour and  yeast. (all in the order described)
(Salt prevents the yeast to rise, hence it should be at the bottom of the bowl).


Using a Mixer
Attach the hook and mixing bowl to your mixer and turn the mixer on to a low setting.

Add the melted butter or Olive oil gradually and proceed with adding the lukewarm water slowly. 

Once combined increase the mixer setting to a medium speed.
At this stage pre heat your oven to 80*c (my way of making the bread rise quickly).

Let the bread mix for 10-15 minutes or until it has a glossy shine, soft and silky texture. 



By hand
Once you've mixed all the ingredients together to form the bread dough, transfer it to a clean floured surface. 

Using the palm of your hand (your core activated) with a bit of pressure, roll the dough away and towards you till you achieve the perfect silky smooth texture. This should take about 15-20 minutes.

Once you've achieved the required texture, turn the oven off and keep it shut.

Tip
The mixture will look sticky to begin with, however the constant kneading will activate the gluten further till you've formed a nice soft and pliable texture.

Leave the bread dough in the mixing bowl and cover with a cling film.

Switch the oven off and leave it to cool off for about 3 minutes. Place the bread dough in the oven and keep it shut for 30-45 minutes. 

Due to the high sugar content , you need to place the dough in a  warm place for it to rise. 
If you're lucky enough to be in Ghana (where's hot) , leave it covered outside in the Sun (lucky you). The bread should double up in size within 45 minutes.

Tip
The process of warming the oven up is to emulate the heat of a hot country (which gives the bread dough a chance to rise perfectly).

 
Grease your preferred baking tin with either Olive oil or melted butter and set aside.

Once the bread dough has doubled up in size, transfer the bread dough to a clean floured surface, (careful not to knock all the air out of the dough) and divide into 6 equal ball portions.

If you prefer a whole loaf, roll the dough into an oblong shape and place it in your greased baking tin. 

Place each bread dough ball into your greased tin and cover again with the cling film for the second and final rise (proofing).

Place the bread dough back in the warm oven for 30 - 45 minutes (the bread dough will double up in size).

Take the bread dough out of the oven and set aside. Switch the oven on, heat it up to 170*c and place a deep baking tray with 400ml of water in the bottom part of the oven.

Place the bread in the middle part of the oven and shut the door quickly to trap in the heat and steam.

The steam will cook the bread and help give the bread a lovely crust.

 

Bake the bread for 20-25 minutes. Tap the bread for a hollow sound, which indicates it's perfectly cooked.

Serve with an Omelette, Coconut Sambal, Avocado, butter or Jam. 
The bread will keep for 5 days in an airtight container.

Watch how to make this bread on my YouTube channel, 'Ndudu by Fafa'. Don't forget to subscribe and share. 

SUGAR BREAD RECIPE

The recipes and pictures are by the owner of this blog.


TEA BREAD RECIPE

Chef Fafa on ITV, This Morning. 





Thursday 2 November 2017

CRISPY FRIED TILAPIA WITH SWEET POTATO WEDGES

Biting into a fried sweet Potato wedge dipped in a spicy Salsa sauce, with a bite off a fatty crispy fried Turkey tail is one of the Ghanaian versions of fast food. 



This dish was a staple amongst the various lunches I enjoyed with my friends during my A'level days. Memories!



Inspired by my teenage years and the left over smoky Salsa sauce , I decided to accompany my fried sweet Potatoes with Tilapia instead. 
Find the smoky Salsa recipe here


There are various types of sweet Potatoes, including the Purple , Orange and White flesh types. 


Ingredients 
1 large descaled and gutted Tilapia 
Half a teaspoon of salt
20g of grated fresh Ginger
1 litre of Vegetable oil
100g of peeled sweet Potatoes cut into wedges 
200g of the Smoky Salsa sauce 

Method 
Watch how to make this easy for follow dish on my YouTube channel, ‘Ndudu by Fafa’. Don’t forget to subscribe, try the recipe, leave a comment with your feedback and share with family and friends.




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