In
the second episode of ‘Cooking with Mum’, Mum shares her classic Egg stew
recipe which was a firm favourite every Friday for dinner during my childhood.
The
stew was usually served with thinly sliced Yam pieces but can also be served
with Rice, Plantain, Kenkey, Banku etc.
INGREDIENTS;
3
large blended Tomatoes
3
large sliced Onions
10
Kasoa Pepper (reduce / increase the amount to your personal preference)
3
tablespoonful of Coconut oil or your preferred oil
6
large Free range / Organic Eggs
1
diced Green Pepper
SPICE
BLEND;
30g
of fresh Ginger
1
medium sized Onion
1
teaspoonful of Aniseed
30g
of dry smoked Shrimps
3
Green Chillies / Kasoa Pepper
METHOD;
Watch
how to prepare this authentic Ghanaian Egg stew recipe kind courtesy of my Mum
below;
Don’t
forget to subscribe, try the recipe and leave comments with your feedback and
share.
All
photos, recipes and videos are by the owner of this blog.
'Puy Lentils', are from the French city of Le Puy-en-Velay,and they're the only lentils that hold their shape after cooking. They have a peppery taste and when combined with goats butter, it adds a nutty taste. Most Puy lentils are readily available as pre cooked packets, however try your local grocer for an uncooked one. They're easy to cook and taste much better when cooked from scratch. This is a quick and easy to follow recipe. Try the recipe, leave a comment , subscribe and share. This recipe will be available on my YouTube channel 'Ndudu by Fafa'.
Ingredients
250g of Puy lentils
600ml of water
25g butter
Red Snapper
2 tablespoonfuls of olive oil
15g of roughly chopped fresh rosemary
1 diced green chilli
15g of julienne ginger (sliced into thin long strips)
2 large sliced onions
2 roughly chopped large tomatoes
2 medium Red Snappers (ask your fishmonger to gut and clean the fish)
Mushroom sauce
1 teaspoon of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil
150ml of white wine
1 finely sliced banana shallot
50g of washed & chopped Shitake mushrooms
10g of fresh thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste
Method;
Puy Lentils
Place a saucepan with 600ml of water on a medium heat.
Add the Puy Lentils and cook for 15-20 minutes or until soft with a bit of a bite.
Once cooked, add the butter and stir.
Red Snapper
Preheat your grill to 200*c
Score the fish into a diamond shape, by slashing it diagonally (in opposite directions).
Place the fish in a roasting dish
Sprinkle the chopped rosemary, olive oil and ginger over the fish.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Rub the fish with the rosemary and ginger mixture.
Add the tomatoes, chillies and onions to the roasting dish. (The tomatoes will lend their juice and taste to the sauce)
Sit the fish on top of the mixture and place under the grill for 15-18 minutes
Take the fish out of the grill and leave to rest for 3 minutes
Mushroom sauce
In a frying pan, melt the butter and add the olive oil (this will prevent the butter from burning)
Add the sliced shallots and fry on a gentle heat for 2 minutes.
Add the mushroom and stir till well mixed.
Fry for another 2 minutes and increase the heat
Add the wine ( taking care not to splash on you).
Cook for 2 minutes and turn the heat down.
Add the thyme and stir.
Add salt and pepper to taste and stir.
Remove from the heat and set aside for later.
To serve
Scoop a ladle of the Puy Lentils to a pasta bowl and drizzle some of the fish juices over it.
Top it with a portion of the the mushroom sauce and a portion of fish.
Sprinkle with either parsley or Greek basil
Best served with White Rioja . Enjoy!
All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog
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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Waakye or Ayimolu is black eyed beans cooked together with rice and Millet leaves.
I've written a few recipes about Waakye or Ayimolu on my blog, however this recipe is my favourite, due to the moist and soft texture you achieve.
The secret lies in the type of rice used for this recipe. Waakye is a typical Saturday brunch or lunch dish in Ghana and it's served with an assortment of meat cooked in a rich Tomatoes stew, fried Fish, Shito (black chilli sauce) or various accompaniments like Spaghetti, Green salad, Avocado, fried Plantain, Eggs or Gari Fortor.
Waakye can be had in a simple way or decadent way, depending on your choice of toppings.
I was inspired to make this dish after a friend teased me with a picture from Ghana , with her Waakye purchase.
This time round I wanted my Waakye to be moist and almost pliable to taste, hence I needed to use the type of rice with more starch content. Jasmine rice became the ideal choice for my recipe to achieve my desired texture.
The use of Millet leaves are a must, as they give the Waakye or Ayimolu its distinctive deep purple colour . I've tried using Hibiscus flowers in the absence of Millet leaves (however it gave the rice a slight bitter taste).
You can omit the Millet leaves if you don't have access to it and cook the rice and beans in Coconut milk. (Then again purists would frown at referring to the above as Waakye).
The use of Akaun or Potash in this recipe helps the beans to soften quicker (failing to soak your beans overnight) and it gives the Waakye or Ayimolu its soft and moist texture, coupled with the use of the right rice.
Ideally soaking your beans overnight quickens the cooking time, however as I made this recipe on the whim, I used Akaun to quicken the process.
Akaun can be purchased at most African Grocers.
Let's start cooking...
Ingredients
400g of Black eyed Beans
250g of washed Jasmine rice
2.2 litres of water
6 strands of Red Millet leaves
Half a teaspoon of Potash or Akaun (Optional)
Salt to taste
Method
Place your beans and 1 litre of water into a saucepan on a medium heat.
Cook for 25 minutes and add the Akaun (if you're using it).
Remember you can omit using the Akaun if you soaked the beans overnight.
Cook till the water runs dry and add another litre of water.
Cook the beans for another 15 minutes and add the washed Millet leaves and cook for 5 minutes.
(It's best to add the Millet leaves at this stage to infuse its colour into the dish).
Add the washed Jasmine rice and stir everything together.
Seal with a crunched up grease proof paper ,cover with the lid and cook on a low heat.
Cook for 15 minutes and stir to ensure the colour of the Millet leaves permeates through every grain of rice.
Add 200ml of water and
seal the rice again with the grease proof paper lid.
Cook for 25 minutes and voila you have your perfectly moist Waakye or Ayimolu.
Remove and discard the Millet leaves when cooked.
For a less moist recipe, try my other recipe where I used Basmati rice or Ghanaian brown rice.
This Waakye was enjoyed with a Lamb chops & Green Peppers stew which is coming up next.
Find more inspiring recipes on my Youtube page, like this Waakye Fried Rice recipe.
All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog.
'World Jollof rice' day was celebrated recently , where everyone was encouraged to prepare Jollof rice, share a picture, and if possible a recipe. Naturally, I uploaded a video of a Jollof rice recipe on my YouTube page, 'Ndudu by Fafa', to honour the day. Well done to the organisers!
I had leftover Jollof sauce after making my Biltong Jollof (which I shared on my Instagram page 'Ndudu by Fafa' and that of a slow cooked Lamb. These two main ingredients inspired my next recipe and it's perfect for the very busy family.
The recipe for the Jollof sauce is also on my YouTube page, 'Ndudu by Fafa'.
The Jollof sauce I used on this occasion is rich and darker. The darker colour is achieved when the tomato sauce is cooked for a further 20 minutes (making sure you stir consistently to avoid any burns).
450ml of Chicken / Vegetable stock or boiled salted water
Method;
Using the pointy part of a knife, make little insertions by stabbing the meat gently to create slit pockets.
Rub the Lamb with 1 teaspoon of olive oil (this will help the spice to stick to the Lamb)
Rub Baharat spice over the Lamb until it's completely covered.
Insert the Garlic and Rosemary into the small pockets and leave to marinade for a few hours (for a more flavourful Lamb, it's best to marinade it overnight).
Tip
Remove your Lamb from the fridge and bring it to room temperature, before placing it in your preheated oven.
Preheat your oven to 150*c
Cut 2 peeled large Banana shallots / Red Onions in half
Place the onions at the bottom of the Claypot or Casserole dish
Place the Lamb on top of the Onions in the Claypot / Casserole dish.
Add the stock, cover and slow cook it for 5hrs in the oven.
Once cooked, remove the Lamb from the oven.
Leave the Lamb to rest for 8 minutes, before serving.
The Lamb will be moist, soft and will break off easily and still pink inside.
Couscous
Add 1 teaspoon of olive to a frying pan and place on a medium heat.
Add 1 thinly sliced shallots and fry gently for 4 minutes , add the Garden Peas and fry for a further 3 minutes. (Take care not to over cook the peas)
Boil your stock or water till it's hot.
Pour the Couscous and hot stock / salted water in a bowl
Stir and cover with a cling film for 8-10 minutes or until the stock is absorbed.
If you're using leftover Lamb ( like I did), using the same frying pan as before, add the Lamb ,sprinkle about a tablespoon of water over it and warm it through.
Warm the Jollof sauce and take the cling film off the Couscous.
Use a fork to stir the Couscous and add the Jollof sauce
Stir till well combined.
Add the onion and peas to the salad and mix well.
Try adding Feta cheese ( if you have any) for that added kick.
Sprinkle with Coriander and serve immediately.
This is a perfect Monday night dinner, if you prepared Lamb for Sunday lunch.
All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog.
'Kelewele' is a popular, street snack from Ghana, which is made from ripened Plantain mixed with spices and it's readily available in most street corners each evening.
Interestingly, they're only available each evening till late and hardly during the day ( I stand corrected if that has changed recently). Whenever next you're Ghana, why not enquire about it or better still make your own 'Kelewele' by following this simple recipe.
Warning:
You can be addicted to this crunchy & soft candy like texture , sweet & spicy snack.
In this recipe I've used my 'herbs' of the season 'Pineapple Sage' and 'Thyme', however be creative and try incorporating different flavours to this recipe. The herbs are optional (hence you can do without). Add any herb or spices that you prefer, Rosemary, Oregano, Marjoram etc or spices like Cumin, Anjwan seeds, dill seeds etc..
Most ingredients are readily available in your local supermarkets or specialist Grocers
Ingredients
Herby Ginger mix
35g of fresh Ginger
1 small clove of garlic
1 large shallot or medium size, white onion
1 Jalapeño Pepper or half a habanero chilli
2 Juniper berries (Optional)
4 Pineapple Sage leaves (Optional)
10g of fresh Thyme (Optional)
Place the above in a blender.
Add a little water if required (helps with blending)
Blend till smooth and set aside.
Ingredients;
Half a teaspoon of red chilli powder
Half a teaspoon of mixed spices (with a clove and pimento base) or (Ghana mixed spice.
Salt to taste
2 large ripened Plantain cut into cubes
600ml of Groundnut oil.
Method;
Add the cubed Plantain to a bowl
Add the chilli powder and mixed spice
Add 2 tablespoonful of the Ginger mix
Salt to taste and mix till well combined.
See below;
Pour the oil into a saucepan and place on a medium heat for 3 minutes
Add the spiced Plantain cubes and fry for about 7-8 minutes ( making sure you stir to allow an even cook)
Using a slotted spoon, remove the golden coloured Plantain nuggets 'Kelewele' into a colander, covered with kitchen blotting paper, to absorb any excess oil.
Serve with roasted Peanuts and savour each nugget with a glass of freshly blended Pineapple juice.
Click on the link below and watch the full video on my YouTube page, Ndudu by Fafa.
All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog.
