HOW TO COOK THE BEST GARDEN EGG STEW

This dish is inspired by both the traditional Ghanaian Abom and Middle Eastern Baba Ganoush recipe. Fusing both cultures and methods of cooking gives this dish an incredible flavour. Flavour that a traditional Garden Egg Stew gives and more.

Why not try the recipe and leave your comments below with your experience?

 ‘I made this for dinner today and it tasted so good’ @akua7649 on my Instagram page ‘Ndudu by Fafa’

INGREDIENTS 

450g of Garden Eggs

3 large Onions 

2 large Tomatoes 

1 ladle of Zomi or Palm oil

400g of Goat Meat

50g of salted Fish (Kobi) or salted Anchovies 

150g of Mushrooms 

50g of roasted Peanuts 

30g of Spring Onions

1 teaspoonful of smoked Paprika 

2 Habanero Chillies/ 6 Kasoa Peppers/ 10 Pettie Belle Chillies (Kpakposhito)

450ml of water

Salt to taste

MARINADE 

1 teaspoonful of Aniseed 

30g of Ginger

1 large Onion

2 cloves of Garlic

METHOD 

Watch how to prepare this incredible dish below;

Don’t forget to subscribe, try the recipe, leave comments with your feedback and share.

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

GARI PIÑON and ADEME DETSI (TOGOLESE DISH)

Ademe , Jute or Molokhia leaves are very nutritious and have a high Iron content. It’s great for your digestive system and bloating due to the mucilaginous structure of the plant. 

During my childhood, Mum and I were at the market at dawn to get the freshest leaves from the market ladies. 

Mum advised Ademe was at its best when used immediately especially after it was plucked.

Mum always had specific ladies she bought specific ingredients from, with clear instructions and the Ademe had to be less than 12 hours old from picking when she purchased it.

 

My grocery shopping experience with Mum during my childhood has shaped my way of handpicking the best of ingredients. Mum insisted on the small like looking Ademe leaves (which I believe were the Organic ones) and were the tastiest. 

Immediately we got home, we had to pick the stalks from the leaves, which can be time consuming, considering how small they were. 

During the process of picking (which if you’re lucky involves a few people), we had our chats including how painstaking the process of cooking was, ensuring we kept the same pace and looking forward to the dish.

GARI PIÑON 

Gari is made out of  grated Cassava that's fermented and roasted. Gari has a Couscous consistency and most West Africans use it just as you would Couscous and more. 

'Gari Piñon', is basically Gari cooked in a hot and perfectly spiced Tomato broth. This is a popular dish in Togo, Benin and the Ewe's of Ghana. 

Gari Pinon has a soft and light texture which is packed with flavours and can be enjoyed with your favourite Meat, Fish or Poultry.

Gari can be enjoyed both in a savoury or sweet way. 

Watch how to prepare both dishes for a perfect lunch below;

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

3 MUST HAVE GHANAIAN CHILLI SAUCES

The 3 main Chilli sauces consumed by most Ghanaian households are the Green Chilli sauce made from Pettie Belle Chillies locally known as KpaKposhito. 
'Shito' translated from the Ga language (spoken by most Ghanaians, particularly by the Ga tribe from Accra, the capital of Ghana) means 'Chilli'. 

In Ewe (language spoken by the Ewe tribe from the Volta region) Chilli is 'Atadi' and the Ashanti's also refer to it as 'Meko'. 

How do you describe 'Chilli' in your language? Please share by leaving comments below. 

 Red Chilli Sauce 
 A spicy Salsa  made from Red Chillies, Onions, Tomatoes and Salt which are grounded (using the Ghanaian earthern clay bowl with internal ridges, known as 'Asanka' and its accompanying wooden pestle) into a textured smooth consistency. 
The inclusion of Garlic and Ginger (apart from their great nutritional content) to the salsa has gently crept into the recipe and its a welcome distraction. 

For that smoky flavour, why not try to char grill your Tomatoes? 

GREEN CHILLI SAUCE
Using the aromatic Green chillies from Ghana (Kasoa Pepper or Kpakposhito)Onion, Garlic, Ginger and salt to taste(which are grounded into a textured consistency) this sauce is cooked to intensify it’s flavours. Most individuals do include Aroma or Shrimp stock to this sauce which is optional for that added flavour. My recipe excludes the aforementioned food enhancers but instead incorporates Green Peppers and Coconut oil for that added flavour. Most Green sauces loose their bright Green colour and instead have an Olive green colour when cooked. I microwave my sauce to ensure I retain the bright Green colour of the sauce.
  This particular sauce is enjoyed with Kenkey, boiled Yam, Banku, Akple etc 

A must try sauce

BLACK CHILLI SAUCE (SHITO)

The ultimate Chilli sauce is the slow cooked Black Chilli sauce popularly known as 'Shito' which is made with Chillies , Spices, Onions, Shrimp powder and Herring Powder. Each household has its own version hence the flavours can be varied. The sauce can have either a smooth or textured consistency depending on each individuals preference. 

I have a few friends who cannot enjoy a meal without incorporating any of the above sauces  to their dish. 

Find the step by step video guide on how to make these 3 incredible sauces below; 

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

CHINCHINGA (THE PERFECT GHANAIAN KHEBAB RECIPE)

Chinchinga (Goat meat Khebab) is one of the popular street food in Ghana, especially at the beach or evenings in most street corners. Chinchinga is made with either Beef or Goat meat marinated in the famous Suya spice and char-grilled. 

MAKE YOUR OWN SUYA SPICE MIX 

 Enjoy making your own Suya spice and proceed to make this famous and flavour packed Ghanaian Khebab. 
Chinchinga is best enjoyed with a chilled glass of Beer or a bowl of Salad.

Be creative and try the Chinchinga with this refreshing Cucumber salad below;

Ingredients: 

Suya spice mix

350g of Sirloin steak

1 large Onion

1 large Green pepper

10 ml of Vegetable oil

Method:
Watch how to prepare this authentic Ghanaian Khebab and thank me later. 

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

THE TASTIEST GRILLED MACKEREL RECIPE

Mackerel is one of the most popular fishes enjoyed in Ghana, particularly when it is chargrilled.

Inspired by the Ghanaian ‘Shito Lo’ which means spiced and chargrilled is this flavour packed recipe whic is a must try.

Traditionally the chargrilled Mackerel is enjoyed with Kenkey (a fermented pliable milled corn, which is  steamed in the husk of the corn) and served with either any of the popular Ghanaian chilli sauces.

(Kpakposhito - Green Chilli sauce), (Raw Pepper - Red spicy and smoky Salsa) or (Shito - The Black Chilli sauce).

You will find each recipe for the sauces on my YouTube channel, ‘Ndudu by Fafa’ below;

INGREDIENTS 

1 small charred Red Pepper

2 cloves of Garlic

1 large Onion

1 teaspoonful of Aniseed 

20g of Ginger

Optional sprig of Rosemary 

2 tablespoonfuls of Olive oil

2 large fresh Mackerel cleaned and gutted by your Fishmonger 

TIP

In the video the Ginger blend was separate from the roasted Pepper salsa, however you can blend the Ginger, Garlic, Onion, Charred Pepper and Aniseed together into a marinade.

Reserve any leftover marinade in the freezer for when a recipe requires it.

METHOD 

Watch how to create this no hassle tasty dish below;

Don’t forget to subscribe, like the videos and share. Please share your feedback when you try the recipe by leaving comments below. 

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

SMOKY GHANAIAN SPICY SALSA (RAW PEPPER)

Inspired by the classic Ghanaian sauce ‘Raw Pepper’ is this smoky and spicy ground Tomato salsa with my added ‘twist’.

Ghana has many creative and naturally flavour packed sauces including the ever popular ‘Raw Pepper’ which is a spicy ground Tomato salsa.

‘Raw Pepper’ is enjoyed with Kenkey, Banku, Boiled Yam which are popular carbohydrates enjoyed in Ghana. 

Whenever I mention ‘Raw Pepper’ it’s mistaken for just ‘eating raw chillies’ hence this video can address that issue. 

This is a creative recipe with the inclusion of charred roasted peppers; For a traditional recipe, you can omit the ‘Red Peppers’. 

Add that smoky taste to your salsa by char grilling your Tomatoes instead (if you’re omitting the Red Peppers.

Ingredients

SAUCE;

1 Ramiro Pepper

10 green chillies (You can reduce or increase the quantity to your preference)

1 large Onion

2 large fresh Tomatoes

Half a teaspoon of salt to taste

BEEF STRIPS

400g of Rump/Sirloin/Fillet of beef cut into strips

1 tablespoonful of cold pressed organic Coconut oil

1 large sliced Onions

20g of fresh Basil

METHOD

Watch how to make this Salsa and scented Beef with other creative sauces and accompaniments  on my YouTube channel, ‘Ndudu by Fafa’ below;

Don’t forget to subscribe, like the video, share, try the recipe and leave comments with your feedback 

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

Enjoy!

GHANAIAN GARDEN EGGS STEW RECIPE

Garden Eggs (Egg Plant or Aubergines) are rich in Pottasium Thiamin, Vitamin B1 and a good source of fiber to mention but a few. Garden Eggs do have a slight bitter taste and pairs well with boiled Yam, Plantain , Rice etc. It is a popular vegetable in West Africa including Ghana, Nigeria and at times are eaten raw. I try to use Garden Eggs as of the as I can and include it in most of my recipes, particularly when I prepare soup. This recipe is inspired by my Mum, using clear, unscented oil, Tomatoes, Fish and spices. You can be creative and use any Meat, Poultry or Seafood that you prefer, it's a must try.  

INGREDIENTS 

400g of Garden eggs

20ml of Rapeseed / Groundnut oil/ Sunflower oil

1 large sliced Onion 

30g of Tomato purée 

1 Habanero chilli 

1 stock cube

Blended 5 large Tomatoes

1 tablespoonful of a blend of Ginger, Onion, Garlic and Aniseed 

2 tinned Pink Salmon or any Fish of your choice 

2 chopped Green chillies

Salt to taste

METHOD 

Watch how to make this classic Ghanaian stew on my YouTube channel, ‘Ndudu by Fafa’ below;

Don’t forget to subscribe, like the video and share.

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

TASTIEST GHANAIAN , GOAT MEAT SOUP RECIPE

Light soup is a spicy tomato based soup which can be made with Poultry, Meat and or Fish. 

Light soup and Fufu (a mixture of Cassava and Plantain) is enjoyed mostly on a Saturday or Sunday in Ghana as it’s a labour intensive in its preparation. Traditionally, Cassava and Plantain are boiled and pounded to form a pliable dough,known as Fufu. Fufu can be enjoyed with any soup of your choosing. Fufu and Light soup on a Sunday is what Sunday roast is to a British. 

Watch how to prepare Fresh Fufu in a Pot without pounding on my YouTube channel, ‘Ndudu by Fafa’.

Enjoy this Ghanaian light soup recipe made with Goat Meat and thank me later.

Ingredients

1 Kg of diced Goat meat 

1 large Tomato

1 large Onion

80g of Tomato Paste or Puree

5 Garden Eggs and or 8 Okra

1 Habanero Chilli

10 Pettie Belle Chillies (Kpakpo Shito)

1 stock cube (optional)

1.5 litres of Water/ Vegetable stock or Beef Stock

Salt to taste

Marinade

1 tablespoon of Aniseed

1 large Onion

30g of Ginger

2 cloves of Garlic

Method;

Watch how to prepare this classic Ghanaian light soup with Goat meat on my YouTube channel,  'Ndudu by Fafa'. 

Don't forget to subscribe, like the video, try the recipe and leave comments with your feedback. All photos, recipes and videos are by the owner of this blog.

EWA AGOYIN RECIPE (BLACK EYED BEANS WITH BLACK CHILLI SAUCE)

This dish is inspired by the famous 'Ewa Agoyin'. The dish originates from the 'Agoyin' people of Cotonou, Benin. It's also a popular dish amongst the Togolese and the Ewes of Ghana. 

As Benin borders Nigeria, Nigerians have subsequently adopted the dish as its a firm favourite. 

Traditionally the sauce is made with bleached Palm oil, however I've replaced it with Coconut oil for that 'Ndudu twist'.

 The black Chilli sauce is inspired by the Ghanaian 'Shito', hence this recipe is filled with inspiration. You can also add shrimp stock, however I omitted it from this recipe and increased the amount of shrimp powder I used. You can also use cray fish powder as a substitute for the shrimp powder. Try this recipe and thank me later 😜

 

Ingredients 

Beans

200g of black eyed beans soaked overnight 

1.5 litres of water

3 ripened peeled Plantains

300ml of Sunflower oil

Salt to taste

 

Black Chilli sauce 

150ml of melted cold pressed Organic Coconut oil

300g of shallots or Onions

30g of Ginger powder 

20g of fresh Ginger

2 cloves of Garlic 

1 tablespoonful of Aniseed

150g of Chilli flakes

250g of Shrimp powder 

1 shrimp stock(optional)

Salt to taste 

Watch how to prepare the best tasting Shito below;

Method 

Start by rinsing your soaked beans with cold water and place it in a saucepan.

Fill the saucepan with 1.5 litres of water and place on a medium heat for an hour (until the water runs almost dry). Soaking your beans cuts the cooking time in half. The beans are ready when they're soft to touch and the water runs almost dry. 

Using a masher, roughly mash the beans to a textured mixture and set aside. 

Watch how to boil your beans on my YouTube channel,'Ndudu by Fafa' and don't forget to subscribe and share. 

Time Management 

Whilst cooking the beans, place a saucepan on a medium heat and add the Coconut oil for about a minute.

Blend the Ginger, Aniseed , Garlic and Onions into a smooth paste and add to the melted Coconut oil. Cook this gently for 5-6 minutes,continuously stirring the mixture (to prevent the bottom from catching).

Fry gently till the oil separates from the Ginger mix and you have a thick marmalade texture. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and stir till well combined. 

(Please note I use less salt, but you can increase the quantity to your preference).

Add the Chilli flakes and powdered Ginger and fry gently for  5 minutes. 

(This will allow the flavours to infuse) .

Add the powdered shrimp and mix till well combined. 

At this stage you can add the optional Shrimp cube (I omitted it from this recipe).

Fry the mixture constantly till it's dark in colour and if it requires any extra oil, just add a tablespoonful of Coconut oil. This darkening process shouldn't take no more than 12-15 minutes. Once you achieve the dark colour, take the sauce off the heat to cool down and fry your Plantain 

You can reserve any leftover black Chilli sauce in an airtight glass container.

PLANTAIN 

Peel the skin off the Plantain and cut into your preferred shape. 

Place the diced Plantain in a bowl and add salt to taste.

Place a frying pan on a medium heat and add the sunflower oil or your preferred oil. Heat the oil for 3 minutes.

Gently add the Plantain and fry for 2 minutes on each side. 

Watch how to fry ripened plantain on my YouTube channel, 'Ndudu by Fafa' and don't forget to subscribe and share. 

To serve

Scoop a portion of your mashed cooked beans into a plate , top it up with your black Chilli sauce and fried Plantain. For a fancy dressing use any available bowl to shape your beans.

 Best to enjoy with chilled Pint of Beer or Cider and for non alcoholic drinkers enjoy with a glass of Cranberry or Pineapple juice.
Watch how to make this recipe on my YouTube channel below;

Find more inspiring recipes on my YouTube channel, 'Ndudu by Fafa' and don't forget to subscribe and share.

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

PALM NUT SOUP (ABENKWAN) OR BANGA SOUP RECIPE

The sound of pounding Fufu and the aroma of a Goat or Chicken soup, will be served in almost every household during Christmas in Ghana.

Inspired by the above, I decided to video a Palm nut soup recipe, which is also known as Banga soup in Nigeria. 

I’ve used the tinned Palm nut cream for this recipe, since the traditional way of extracting the Palm nut cream can be labour intensive and time consuming.

Traditionally, one has to pick the individual fruits from the thorny casing, which can be painful. 

Luckily they’re already picked when they hit the markets. I remember in the late 80’s my Mum wasn’t impressed with the introduction of the ‘Agric’ type of Palm nut, which was twice the size of the local Palm fruits. They didn’t taste as great the local one. It turned out the smaller and darker looking Palm nut fruits were the Organic type and the larger ones had ‘fertilizers’ introduced to the soil , hence the name ‘Agric’.

The Palm nut fruits are then washed and boiled till they’re soft. One then uses a pestle and mortar to pound the fruits, to separate the thin, fibrous outer layer from the hard shells.

Hot water is then used to separate the juice of the fruit from the fibre and hard shell nuts.

The fibrous  part of the fruit is then dried and used to light fires. The nuts are cracked and one can enjoy it on its own or use it for Palm Kennel oil.

The leaves are also used to make brooms and the tree as firewood. 

Palm nut soup is cooked differently from each tribe in Ghana. This is due to the varied ingredients used in the soup. This recipe is inspired by Mum, since she only used Goat meat and smoked Tuna for the soup. I've used herring powder in place of smoked Tuna for this recipe. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

800g of Palmnut flesh

1.2 litres of water

1 large Tomato

I large Onion

1kg of cubed Lamb

1 teaspoonful of Cayenne Pepper

1 tablespoon of Herring powder

100g of Garden Eggs divided in two

100g of Okra 

10 individual Pettie Belle chillies ( Kpakpo Shito)

Salt to taste

GINGER BLEND

30g of Ginger

1 large Onion

1 tablespoon of Carom seeds

1 tablespoon of Aniseed

METHOD 

Watch how to prepare this below 

Don’t forget to subscribe, try the recipe, leave a comment with your feedback and share with your family and friends.

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

PERFECT T BONE STEAK INFUSED WITH SUYA

Over the years I have learnt it is important for your guest to enjoy Steak the way they want it. It is a personal choice and I frown upon imposing how one is supposed to enjoy their steak. 

This recipe displays the meat at a Medium, Medium rare and Rare state.

If you wish to cook your meat for longer, you can for an extra 4 minutes to guarantee you a moist meat.

Leave a comment below on how you like your meat? 

INGREDIENTS:

1Kg T-Bone steak/ Siloin/ Filet Mignon/ Rib-eye 

2 tablespoonfuls of Suya spice (See recipe below)

1 teaspoonful of Chipotle chilli (Optional)

1 teaspoon of Avocado oil

Half a teaspoon of Salt to taste

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN SUYA SPICE MIX

Method

Watch how to cook your perfect Steak below; 

Don't forget to subscribe, try the recipe, leave a feedback with your comments , like the video and share. 

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

TUO ZAAFI and AYOYO (MOLOKHIA SOUP)

The Ewe's of Ghana have their Amorkple (where the corn dough is slightly fermented) with Ademe Dessi and the Northerner's of Ghana have Tuo Zaafi with Ayoyo.

Similar ingredients are used in preparing the above dishes, however they do taste differently and that’s the beauty of most Ghanaian dishes. 

Preparing this dish was a natural progression, considering I had fresh Molokhia leaves. 

Tuo Zaafi is gluten free, light, fluffy and kind to ones stomach.

It’s served with Ayoyo , which is a  Green leaf soup (Molokhia leaves) with a Miso taste and a flavour packed stew.

Watch how to make the tastiest Lamb  stew below;

INGREDIENTS 

125g of Corn flour

125g of Cassava flour

500ml of Water

400g of Molokhia leaves 

1 large Onion

1 Habanero Chilli or 10 Pettie Belle Chillies

400ml of Fish, Beef or Lamb stock

1 tablespoonful of Shrimp powder 

Half a teaspoon of Dawadawa powder

Salt to taste 

Watch how to prepare this dish below; 

Don’t forget to subscribe, try the recipe, leave a comment with your feedback, like the video, share with family and friends.

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