MASA (Rice Crumpet)

Masa is an African crumpet originating from the Hausa tribe. Masa is  made from rice, which is fermented and fried. 

I first tasted Masa during my childhood when we hosted a family from the Hausa tribe. I loved the sweet and sour taste of this crumpet. I spoke to my Mum who gave me a sketchy recipe and my hairdresser (Hajia Fulera) for an authentic recipe. 

I have a Masa recipe already on my blog, where I added Yoghurt and the batter was lighter. 

This recipe is perfect for your Hors d'oeuvre or canapés. 

Personally, I think African ingredients are under rated as most African dishes are Gluten free , fresh, natural and nutritious. This morning, my mission was to incorporate a bit of Africa to my breakfast, so instead of normal pancakes I made 'Masa'. 

A lot of work, creativity, passion and research goes into perfecting a recipe, verifying the recipe and writing about it, as such, I love to hear your feedback.

  Ensure you try the recipe, share the page and leave a comment about your experience. This helps educating the world about African cuisines. 

Serves 4

Ingredients 

150g of uncooked rice soaked overnight or 150g of rice flour.

150g of cooked rice 

1 tablespoon of Sugar

1 teaspoon of dry yeast

Half a teaspoon of salt

120ml of lukewarm water

Half a teaspoon of bicarbonate soda or Kaun (edible potash)

Mushroom mix

Tip;

You can use any mushroom that's available. 

100g Enoki mushrooms

80g of Shimeji mushrooms

1 finely diced Banana shallots

2 finely sliced Garlic

1 deseeded and finely diced green chilli

Half a teaspoon of olive oil 

10g of fresh Thyme (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste. 

Egg filling

3 hard boiled diced eggs

1 teaspoon of English mustard

1 tablespoon of grated fresh Turmeric or half a teaspoon of dry Turmeric

1 teaspoon of grated Ginger

1 tablespoon of olive oil 

1 teaspoon of rice wine vinegar (you can use malt or white vinegar). Alternatively use 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. 

1 teaspoon of honey 

1 teaspoon of chopped chives or finely diced spring onions 

Salt and pepper to taste

Method;

Mix the lukewarm water in a cup with the yeast, sugar and Edible potash (Kaun) or use bicarbonate soda . 

Leave in a warm place for 12-15 minutes ( until it's frothy ). The timing might take longer during this cold period. 

Tip;

I warm my oven up and open the door. I leave the yeast mixture on top of the door for 15 minutes. 

In a blender add the cooked rice, uncooked rice and the yeast mixture. Blend till you have a thick silky smooth paste. 

Tip

It's imperative to use a very good blender (Vitamix) for the silky smooth texture. 

Alternatively use rice flour.

Leave the paste in a warm place for fermentation. The paste will rise with loads of bubbles.

Let the paste rise for about 10-13hrs and collapse. 

Once it's collapsed, you can add an optional (extra teaspoon of sugar) and stir. 

Place a frying pan on a medium heat. Spray with oil, scoop a tablespoon of the batter (form a nice disc) and fry for 1 minute on each side . 

Tip;

Let the batter brown perfectly before you turn it over. The batter is ready to turn when it comes off easily from the frying pan. 

Alternatively, scoop a ladle of batter to the frying pan for a large pancake size. 

Repeat this process until all the batter is fried and set aside. 

Mushroom mix

Using the same frying pan, add the teaspoon of Olive oil . 

Add the diced shallots and diced green chilli. Fry for 2 minutes on a medium heat. 

Add the Garlic and fry for 30 seconds (avoid burning the garlic)

Add the mushroom, toss the mixture together and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. The mushrooms will soften within 3 minutes. 

Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside. 

Egg filling

In a bowl add the grated Turmeric (dry turmeric), grated Ginger, Mustard, Vinegar, Honey, Olive oil, Salt and Pepper. 

Mix everything till well combined. Add the diced eggs , mushroom mix, chives and mix well. 

To serve

Top each Masa with a tablespoonful of the egg mixture and serve. 

Alternatively , serve in a large plate for as a sharing platter. 

Serve with a chilled smoothie of Pineapple and Ginger. 

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

TURMERIC TEA

My love for exploring ingredients and their benefits led me my local exotic grocer ( where I found fresh turmeric). 

I've always used dried Turmeric for cooking and was rather excited to find the fresh root. 

I prefer the fresh ones now, as they don't  have the 'woody' taste, that dry Tumeric has. 

I've always known about the great benefits of Turmeric (anti-inflammatory and a great antioxidant) including its healing properties when used as a face mask. 

Curcumine, (the main nutrient component of Turmeric)  is what helps Turmeric to possess it's strong anti inflammatory and antioxidants benefits. However curcumine is hard to absorb into our bloodstream. By adding black peppercorns (which contains piperine ), it helps with the absorption of curcumine. 

Every second day , I enjoy a lovely cup of tea with Tumeric and black peppercorns.

 Here is my recipe. 

Ingredients;

15g of sliced fresh turmeric or 1 teaspoon of dry turmeric 

Half a teaspoon of freshly millet black peppercorns 

200ml of hot water

Add 10g of sliced Ginger (optional)

Tip;

Japanese Tea pot with an internal strainer

Method;

Add the Tumeric, milled black Peppercorns and Ginger to the strainer.

Add the hot water and leave to steep or infuse for 3-4 minutes. Pour into your tea cup, sit, relax and savour the spicy flavours. 

Try the recipe and hashtag #Ndudurecipes on Instagram to be featured. Don't forget to leave a comment with feedback about the recipe. 

Enjoy!

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

FURA (THE ALKALINE AFRICAN SMOOTHIE)

' Fura tor , va afiee' (I'm sure the Ewe purist will frown upon my spellings,(meaning Fura seller , come over).  'Ewe' pronounced 'Erh-were', is the the name of my tribe and language. I'll make time to learn how to write in Ewe (personal challenge). 

My mum was kind enough to send some millet my way, hence the idea to make Fura and Hausa Koko, became a necessity. I'll update my blog with the Hausa Koko recipe. Recipes like these are not readily available in Ghana, as they're sold already cooked. I have recreated this recipe by memory of my taste buds, (when I last had Fura, over 15 yrs ago). 

You should see my excitement when I got the flavours right. I noticed as I omitted the Soya beans (best to avoid Soya beans altogether) the  Fura had a dark grey and brownish colour, however the flavours are 'on point.' My hairdresser, Hajia Fulera  (who is from the Northern part of Ghana gave me the thumbs of approval for the recipe, after she tasted it. Whoop whoop!

Most snack hawkers in Ghana,  roam for miles to sell their wares, hence wanting Fura, boiled nuts, bofrot (doughnuts), etc could take longer than you anticipate. One could potentially wait for hours and days for their favourite snack , hence when you see one, you scream to get their attention. 

Fura

'Fura' (a traditional dish from the Northern part of Ghana) is made out of milled millet and spices.

Millet is alkaline which means it's easy to digest.  It hydrates your colon, it's gluten free, helps lower and  maintain a good cholesterol level (Vitamin B3) , a good source of protein to mention but a few. 

 

Guinea Peppers

Millets prebiotic properties, helps with my sensitive stomach as it's easily digestible. I'll call this recipe the 'Alkaline African Smoothie'.

This is my favourite recipe, as all the ingredients help promote a good digestive system. 

Millet

Ingredients;

250g of milled Millet

(If you don't have milled millet, soak your millet overnight or for a quicker version in lukewarm water for an hour.)

10g of Guinea peppers

Half a teaspoon of chilli powder 

1 tablespoon of Ginger powder

5 cloves

3g of black peppercorns. 

60ml of cold water

Salt to taste

To serve

800ml of live Yoghurt (readily available in most grocers or supermarkets)

12g of Sugar

200ml of semi skimmed milk

Method: 

Toast the Guinea peppers, cloves and black peppercorns in a saucepan for about 2 minutes or (until you can smell the peppers). 

Tip;

Toasting spices generally helps release their oils and flavours. 

Blend the peppers and cloves  to a powder form. 

Un-milled Millet

If you're using un-milled 

millet, blend the spices with the millet to a smooth paste. Transfer the paste  to a bowl and mix with 50ml of water. Proceed to cook the paste, with your preferred option. 

Milled Millet

Add the milled Millet, Ginger powder, Salt, Chilli powder and mix everything together. 

Now add the water and mold into a smooth ball. Cover the dough with a cling film and leave in a warm place to ferment overnight. 

There are 2 ways of making 'Fura'

Option 1 (traditional method)

Place a saucepan with 800ml of water on a medium heat. 

Roll the dough into 6 equal balls and add them to the water. Boil for 20 minutes and take the dumplings out of the boiling water. 

Using a pestle and mortar, grind each ball till you have a smooth paste and roll it  into a ball again. Repeat this process for the rest of the dumplings. Dust the dumplings with corn or millet flour and refrigerate. It keeps well for 5 days. 

Option 2 (Quick & Efficient)

Once the dough has fermented overnight, mix it with 150ml of water to a smooth consistency.

Pour the mixture into a saucepan and place  on a medium heat. 

Keep stirring  (to avoid any lumps) into a thick paste. It will turn into a thick paste, within 3 minutes of stirring. Decrease the heat to the lowest setting and steam the dough for about 7-10 minutes.  Transfer the dough to a bowl and leave to cool down.  Once the temperature has cooled down (easy to touch) roll into 6 individual balls. 

Dust with some millet or corn flour and refrigerate. Best eaten within 5 days of preparation. 

Watch how to make this below on my YouTube channel, 'Ndudu by Fafa'. 

To serve;

Add a ball of Fura, 200ml of Yoghurt with 50ml of semi skimmed milk to a blender. 

Add 1 tablespoon of Sugar or sweetener 

Blend to a silky textured smoothie. 

Best served chilled. 

All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog. Try the recipe, leave a comment, share with your friends and don't forget to subscribe. 

PAN FRIED OKRA & SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS

Breakfast or brunch should always be rewarding, especially on Sundays; before the start of a hectic week. 

It's a norm in my household to either bake , create a recipe or treat ourselves to a decadent meal. 

This is an African & Asian inspired brunch that mixes Okra and Shitake mushrooms together. 

When I posted the picture of this brunch on my Instagram page, the reaction was of intrigue and curiosity. 

Comments from my Instagram page;

'Please look at this combo', 'Interesting', 'I never thought Okra, could be eaten this way, SMH, interesting'. 

Okra, when used in African dishes, are cooked to increase it's mucilagenous (goo texture) by adding water, stock, edible potash, bicarbonate of soda etc; whereby in most Asian dishes, they're fried to prevent activating its mucilage texture . 

Okra are also known as bhindi, ladies fingers, Fetri, Okro or Gumbo. Okra is rich in potassium, calcium, folate, Vitamin C and a great antioxidant. 

Try this easy to follow recipe,  leave a comment, share and subscribe to my blog and YouTube page 'Ndudu by Fafa'.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

24 sliced individual Okra

2 finely diced Banana shallots

2 sliced Jalapeño peppers 

2 cloves of peeled and sliced Garlic

2 tablespoonfuls of extra virgin Olive oil

400g of fresh Shitake mushrooms 

8 refrigerated eggs

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

Bresaola(An Italian air dried salted beef, thats aged for 3 months)

You can replace the Bresaola with smoky bacon).

150ml of light olive oil (for frying)

Freshly milled Guinea Pepper / Black peppercorns

Salt to taste

Guinea Pepper or Grains of Paradise

Method:

Place a frying pan on a medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of Olive oil 

Add half the finely diced shallot and fry for a minute. 

Shitake Mushrooms

Add the garlic, stir and add the mushrooms. 

Stir fry the mushrooms for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh thyme , a pinch of the milled Guinea pepper and salt. Stir fry for 45 seconds and take off the heat. 

Transfer the contents to a plate and return the frying pan to the fire. 

Still on a medium heat, add the remaining finely diced shallot and stir. 

Just when it starts to brown, add the sliced Okra, Jalapeño peppers, Cumin seeds and stir fry for about 3-4 minutes. 

Add salt to taste , sprinkle with freshly milled Guinea Pepper and set aside. 

Fried Eggs

Preheat the grill to 180*c 

Place the Bresaola on a baking tray and transfer to the preheated grill. 

Grill for 2-3 minutes or until crispy. 

Wipe the frying Pan and place it back on the fire at a very low setting. 

Take your eggs out of the fridge and crack each egg into the frying pan. 

Fry gently (on the lowest setting) for 4 minutes for a perfect runny yolk or (longer if you prefer a hardened yolk). However, this recipe requires the yolk to be runny, as it'll act as sauce to the dish.  

Tip

Applies to fried eggs only

Placing the egg in the fridge, allows the egg white to wrap around the yolk, when frying (as shown above).

To serve;

Scoop some of the Mushroom mix into a bowl and spread to the sides of the bowl. 

Then scoop some of the Okra mix and spread evenly.

Lay a crispy Bresaola on top of the vegetable mix. 

Carefully place a fried egg on top of the Bresaola.

Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. 

Tip;

Try buying Olive oil made from 'Arbequina' Olives. It gives the Olive oil an aromatic taste and it's delicious. I tasted this olive oil for the first time at, 'Restaurante Elkano' , Getaria, in Spain. 

I found a 500ml bottle at Waitrose for £16.00. (Safe to say , I use it sparingly). 

Sprinkle a pinch of freshly milled Guinea pepper(careful not to add to much, as it's rather spicy).

Alternatively , sprinkle with freshly milled black peppercorns.

Serve with freshly baked Baguette, Sour dough bread or Ciabatta. 

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

KAFFIR LIME & CHICKEN BROTH

Inspired by the classic Nigerian Pepper soup, is this recipe made with Kaffir Lime and Chicken.

This recipe has a perfect sweet, sour and spicy broth with the Ndudu twist.

Don't hesitate to leave comments and  feedback about your experience.

Ingredients

3 finely chopped Kaffir Lime leaves

Diced Yam cubes

2 Chicken breast and Legs

1 large diced Onion

2 Green diced , Chillies

20g of blended Ginger

Salt and Pepper to taste

Zest and juice of 1 Lemon

10g sliced Ginger

1 litre of Ginger beer

Method

In a bowl add the Chicken, Ginger, Kaffir Lime, chopped Chillies, diced Onions and zest of the Lemon. 

Mix everything together and marinade the Chicken for at least an hour in the fridge

Pre-heat the oven to 180*c

Transfer the Chicken and marinade to a casserole pot , slow cooker or Clay pot. 

Add the ginger beer and place it in the oven and cook for about 30-40 minutes. 

Place the Yam cubes in a saucepan with enough water that covers the Yam (about 2 cm above the Yam). 

Place the Yam on a medium heat and cook for about 5-7 minutes. The Yam is cooked when it has a translucent  look and there isn't any resistance when you insert it with a fork. 

Remove the Chicken from the oven, add the Lemon juice, stir and leave to rest for about 5 minutes. 

To serve

Strain the broth , using a fine strainer, shred the moist chicken and add to the broth. Sprinkle with Greek basil , Coriander or Kaffir Lime.

Enjoy!

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