GHANAIAN CHOCOLATE ICE LOLLIES

Dinner was grilled Harissa crusted Mackerel with new potatoes and  I wanted something sweet. 

I'm not one for sweet things , however there's a time a lady will give into their  cravings for something sweet. I settled for hot Chocolate, using my Ghanaian Cocoa powder. 

I was sipping my hot Chocolate and my thoughts escaped to my childhood 

'You'll be late for school, stop playing with your Tea' (hot Chocolate made from Milo/Cocoa Powder or Bournvita'). 

'Why was every beverage named tea' and Mackerel, Salmon? Who am I kidding, I also described the above the same way , till I knew better 🙈

I had to smile at this memory, as I knew I wanted to distract my Mum to enable me freeze the rest of my hot chocolate.

Bless, I did give flimsy excuses of 'I can't find my bag or hide my school shoes etc (much to the annoyance of my Mum) to buy me enough time to freeze the 'hot chocolate'. At times one was caught in the act 🙈 most times I managed to add

the 'chewing stick' for the perfect lolly or use my spoon. 

All this kerfuffle was for one to enjoy an Ice lolly after school. 

I was half way through my hot chocolate and decided to freeze the rest in homage to my childhood. Thankfully I had some 'chewing stick ' and bingo I was looking forward to my Chocolate Ice lolly the next day. 

CHEWING STICK

Ingredients 

Indulgent option 

100ml of double cream

200ml of whole milk

3 heaped tablespoons of Cocoa powder / Milo

1 teaspoon of brown Sugar

My childhood ingredients

2 heaped teaspoonful of Milo or Cocoa Powder 

1 teaspoon of brown sugar (or more depending on your preference)

3 tablespoons of evaporated milk

200ml of hot water 

Indulgent Method 

Mix the Cream, Sugar and Milk together in a saucepan 

Place the saucepan on a medium heat and warm up for 5 minutes 

Add the Cocoa powder and mix well. 

Childhood method

Add the Milo/Bournvita/Cocoa Powder to a mug.

Add the sugar and milk and stir. 

Add the warm water and stir till smooth. 

Pour your preferred chocolate drink method into a teacup and insert a chewing stick or a lolly stick. 

Enjoy!

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

Find more inspiring recipes on my YouTube channel,'Ndudu by Fafa', like this Ghanaian doughnut recipe. Don't forget to subscribe and share

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CHAPLI KHEBAB RECIPE

Chapli Khebab originates from Pershawa in Pakistan and it's a firm favourite of mine. I love making friends and learning new dishes from their cultures. I first had this made by a friend Ayesha, sometime last year and decided to treat myself  to a few today. 

Traditionally the Chapli Khebab (Kabab) is fried or grilled on a charcoal barbecue, however I chose to grill mine.

Some recipes do ask for the inclusion of Pomegranate seeds, Corn starch and Garam Masala. I've omitted the aforementioned ingredients from this recipe as I used what was available in my spice larder. 

However if you wish to add the omitted spices add a tablespoonful each to the spice mix.

What I love about this type of Khebab is the inclusion of Tomatoes. The Tomatoes give the Khebab a moist texture even when cold.

Chapli Khebab (Kabab) can be enjoyed with steamed Rice, Salad, as a Burger or in a Sandwich. Let's start cooking...

 

Ingredients 

Spice mix

1 tablespoonful of Coriander seeds

1 tablespoonful of roasted Cumin seeds

1 tablespoonful of Ginger  powder 

1 tablespoonful of Paprika

1 tablespoonful of Garlic powder 

6 Cardamom pods

1 teaspoonful of Red Chilli powder 

6 Cloves

1 teaspoonful of milled Black Peppercorns 

 

500g of minced Lamb

1 large finely diced Onion 

I large diced Tomato 

15g of chopped fresh Coriander 

1 free range or Organic egg

Salt to taste

Juice of  1 Lemon 

Oil to fry 

Method 

Spice mix

Add all the ingredients with the exception of the Coriander seeds and blend into a smooth powder.

Add the Coriander seeds and pulse.

 

The aim to have a rough spice mix texture, as shown above.

Place the minced Lamb, Lemon juice in a bowl and add 3 tablespoonful of the spice mix.

 

Tip

Reserve the rest of the spice mix in an airtight container and freeze it till a recipe requires it. Freezing the spice mix retains the freshness and aroma of the spices. When needed, just warm it up in a dry frying pan to release its oils. 

Add the egg, diced Onions, chopped Coriander, diced Tomato and salt to taste.

 

Knead the mixture for about 5-6 minutes till you have a smooth and silky texture, as shown above.

Moulding

Place a bowl with 3 tablespoonful of Olive oil next to you. Dip both fingers into the Olive oil and scoop a handful of the Lamb mixture. 

 

Roll the mixture into a ball and using both palms, press the mixture into a flat disc shape and set aside.

 

Frying 

If you choose to fry your Chapli Khebab it's best to use Ghee , however you can use any oil of your choosing.

Heat the oil up in a frying pan and carefully place each Chapli Khebab in the oil.

Fry for 2 minutes on both sides and set aside till you've fried all the mixture.

Grilling 

Preheat your grill to 200*c and place your Chapli Khebab on an oiled baking tray.

Grill for 8 minutes and it's ready to serve. 

 

Best to serve this with Green salad and a cold glass of fresh Watermelon juice.

Find more inspiring recipes on my YouTube channel,

'Ndudu by Fafa'. Don't forget to subscribe and share. 

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

BRUSCHETTA RECIPE

 'Bruschetta' it is then, as I came across the tomato stall selling two punnets of Plum tomatoes for £6.50 at my local Farmers Market. 

It was pricey and it looked exactly the same as any other plum tomato. 

 I was intrigued and wanted to understand the reasoning behind the cost. 

It must taste like heaven,(thoughts leisurely running through my head) as I parted with my hard earned cash and embraced my purchase. 

On my way home, I purchased a stone baked Sour Dough bread from my local baker to accompany my dish. 

 

I love to use Sour Dough bread as the slight sour taste of the bread pairs perfectly with this dish. You can use any bread of your choosing, however it's best to use either Ciabatta, Baguettes or Sour dough bread. 

Now back to my pricey purchase; the taste of the baby Plum tomatoes were incredible. They were produced by a small hold organic Farmer and they're sun ripened. I love the variation of the Plum Tomatoes( Yellow & Red) and of course by the time I add the Parsley, I have the colours of the Ghanaian flag, 'Woowzer'. Basically the Plum Tomatoes do taste exactly as the rich juicy Ghanaian tomatoes. The premium, one pays for food that's readily available for a lot less back home. Hmm!

 

Anyway enough of my moan and let's get cooking. But before that (I know, I'm still going on 😂), this is an Italian inspired snack which is equally healthy and delicious with the added 'Ndudu twist', (chilli). You can't take the chilli out of the girl. The amount of chilli used is to provide a background heat and not overpower the dish. This time , I mean it when I say let's start cooking or mixing.

For the list of ingredients, you'll need,  Ingredients

A slice of sour dough bread (my preference) Baguette or Ciabatta

10 baby plum tomatoes sliced into quarters

A small size finely diced red onion

15g of chopped parsley

1 finely diced de seeded green chilli (optional)

1 clove of finely diced Garlic

1 teaspoonfull of fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons of Olive oil

Salt to taste

A pinch of freshly milled black peppercorns

Mix the chopped Plum Tomatoes, diced Red Onions, Garlic, Chilli and Parsley together in a bowl. Add the Olive oil (or a good glug of olive oil) and the lemon juice.

 You can use White wine vinegar in place of the Lemon juice.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Leave to marinade in the fridge for 10-15 minutes (this allows the flavours to infuse).

Slightly toast your preferred bread and top with a portion of the Plum Tomatoes salad.

Serve the Bruschetta with a glass of freshly squeezed Grapefruit or Palm wine.

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

Find more inspiring Kitchen ideas on my YouTube channel, 'Ndudu by Fafa'. Don't foget to subscribe and share. 

HOW TO FRY THE PERFECT FISH

Red snapper, Tilapia, Herrings,'one man thousand' to mention but a few are types of fishes I love eating (particularly in Ghana), especially when fried.

On my last visit to Ghana, I kept hunting for freshly fried fish to have as a snack (a slight obsession, that won't  go away).

Freshly caught and fried fish is the best thing you could ever have. In Ghana freshly fried fish is readily available all day, from the Kenkey and Waakye sellers. 

My local fishmonger serves me perfectly well with the varied choices he has available. 

Fried fish accompanies dishes like Kenkey, Waakye, Jollof rice, Banku etc (all local Ghanaian dishes).

Ingredients; 

8 medium sized (Sea Bream/Red Snapper/Sea Bass, Red Mullet) cleaned, gutted and cut in half, by your fishmonger. 

Flour

1 litre of Sunflower oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Tip 

For a crispy skinned, fried fish, wipe the fish with a kitchen paper towel (to get rid of any moisture) , add salt to the skin and leave to rest for 5 minutes before frying. Using flour also helps with achieving a crispy skinned, fried fish 

Method

Add the oil to a frying pan or wok and place on a medium heat. 

Add the flour to a bowl and set aside. 

Test the oil is hot, by adding a tiny cube of bread, if it sizzles, the oil is ready. 

Toss each fish into the flour, till it's completely covered (shake off any excess flour) and carefully drop it into the hot oil. 

Tip;

(Please take all necessary precautions, when dealing with hot oil). 

Fry on each side for 3 minutes and remove it from the oil . Place the fish on a Kitchen blotting paper (to absorb any excess oil). 

Tip

Ensure the oil is hot at (180*c or 350 degrees farenheit) for a crispy, perfectly fried fish. If the oil is too hot the fish will burn and if it's not hot enough it will absorb the oil.

All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog. Please seek permission and always reference back to my blog. 

Find more inspiring recipes on my Youtube page,like this Masa recipe, 'Ndudu by Fafa'. 

GRILLED TILAPIA WITH SUKONI

Tilapia is a fresh water fish, hence you find them in lakes, ponds, shallow streams etc. Mackerel, Tilapia, Herrings and Tunas are readily available in Ghana, however Tilapia is a personal favourite and for most. It's a meaty fish that grills, roasts, steams,bakes and smokes perfectly. 

Tilapia when salted is known as 'Koobi', (the Ghanaian salted fish) and it's delicious when added to stews and soups. The many uses of Tilapia makes it a popular and diverse fish. Freshly caught Tilapia, marinated in spices and chargrilled is the best you could ever have. 

When next in Ghana, visit the market and buy freshly caught Tilapias from the beautiful and  hardworking ladies.  Char grill using this recipe and thank me later. 

For this recipe, I've named it 'Sukoni' infused , because I used aniseed ,(Sukoni, means Aniseed in my tribal dialect), however you can use cumin as I did in my cookery show. 

Be creative and try using Cardamom, 'sparingly', as it can overpower the flavour of the fish. 

Most of my recipes do suggest alternatives, however if you need 

further suggestions, leave a comment below. 

Tilapia

Ingredients 

4 medium sized Tilapias (cleaned and gutted by your fishmonger)

50g peeled ginger cut into chunks 

1 large white onion, peeled and cut into chunks

4 tablespoonfuls of olive oil / Coconut oil

1 tablespoonful of vinegar 

3 green chillies

1 large clove of garlic 

1 teaspoon in aniseed / cumin / anjwan seeds. 

50g of Coriander (optional)

Half a teaspoon of salt

Method;

Blend the ginger, garlic, onion, aniseed, chillies and coriander into a rough paste. 

Transfer the spice mixture to a bowl 

Add the vinegar and olive oil and mix well. 

Add half a shrimp stock cube (if you're using) and salt to taste. Please use salt sparingly, especially if you're using a stock cube. 

Cumin seeds 

Pre heat your grill to 180*c 

Use a knife to slice the skin of the fish. (Be careful not to cut through)

Pour the marinade over the fish and rub it  through every crevices. 

Marinate for at least an hour in the fridge. 

Remove from the fridge and leave it out for 15 minutes. This brings the fish to room temperature and encourages it to cook evenly. 

This will guarantee you a nice and moist fish. 

Place the fish in an oven proof dish and into the middle part of the oven. 

Grill on each side for 7 minutes. If you're using a charcoal grill, oil your griddle (to avoid the fish sticking into the griddle) or better still wrap it in Banana leaves and chargrill for 6 minutes on each side. 

Serve your grilled Tilapia with Attiéké, Banku, Kenkey, Fried Yam or roast vegetables. 

Wash it down with freshly tapped Palm wine and savour the flavours. 

Recipe for the Attiéké is also available on my blog. 


Click on the link below

http://ndudu-by-fafa.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/attieke.html

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

BIRYANI SPICE BLEND RECIPE

 

In my previous post on how to make Biryani rice, I used my own Biryani spice blend, which worked perfectly.

The Biryani spice blends I researched about were varied. Some included Garlic and Ginger powder and others had dried Prunes. I made this blend with the ingredients I had available, which turned out well.  This spice blend gives you medium heat level.

 

Ingredients 

1 tablespoonful of Curry powder 

1 tablespoonful of Garam Masala

10g of Mace

10g of Black Peppercorns 

10g of Green Cardamoms 

10g of Black Cardamoms 

1 tablespoonful of Chilli flakes or 1 teaspoonful of Chilli powder 

2 Cinnamon sticks

1 tablespoonful of Cumin seeds

8 cloves

1 tablespoonful of Caraway seeds

1 tablespoonful of Ginger powder 

1 tablespoonful of Garlic Powder 

5 bay leaves

6g of Black salt or a teaspoonful of Sea salt

 

Method 

Toast the Cumin seeds, black Peppercorns and  Caraway seeds in a dry frying pan for  45 seconds on a high heat. This releases the oils of the spiced.

Transfer all the ingredients (with the exception of the Bay leaves and Black salt) into a spice grinder.

 

Using a pestle and mortar grind the Black salt rock into a powder form and set aside.

Blend the spice mix into a powder form , whilst the aromatic smell fills your Kitchen, hmm!

 

Transfer the spice blend into a bowl and add the powdered Black salt to taste.

Mix everything together till well combined.

Using a pair of scissors, cut your Bay leaves in 4 and add to the blend. 

 

Tip

I used fresh Bay leaves hence leaving it in chunks. If you're using the dry ones, mix a few leaves with the spices before blending. Reserve a bit for decorating your spice blend.

Transfer any leftover spice blend into an air tight container for future uses. 

Use your spice blend when recommended by a recipe and freeze the rest till when next you need it. 

 

Tip

Freezing your spices ensures it keeps its freshness for longer. When needed just warm it through to release the oils and aroma. 

Enjoy!

Next on the blog will be how to make your own Ghee.

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

Find more inspiring recipes on my YouTube channel, 'Ndudu by Fafa'.