STUFFED YAM RECIPE (BEST WAY TO USE YOUR LEFTOVER YAM)

Imagine bitting into a crunchy and fluffy Yam cake stuffed with gooey Mozzarella.

 What is ‘Yam’ , you might ask?

'Yam', is a tuberous root vegetable, which is synonymous but not exclusive to Africa. There are over 600 varieties, of which 95% are cultivated in Africa. 

In parts of America and Canada 'sweet potatoes' are referred to as 'Yams' , however that's not the case , as the similarity ends with both been a tuberous root vegetable and cooked the same way; they differ in taste and texture.

INGREDIENTS

200g of boiled Yam (best to use your left over Yam)

30g of melted butter

150g of sliced Mozzarella

A pinch of freshly grated Nutmeg

1 teaspoonful of Corn starch or flour 

TO SERVE 

Be adventurous and serve this with your favourite stew including the popular Egg stew below;

METHOD

Watch how to create this amazing Yam recipe stuffed with Mozzarella below;

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

MY SIGNATURE PRAWN SPAGHETTI RECIPE

This is my favourite dish and a secret recipe I am happy to share. 

Each ingredient has been carefully selected for their amazing natural flavours and cooked perfectly to enhance their flavours.

Leave comments below when you try the recipe.

INGREDIENTS 

2 large Red peppers 

2 large Onions

30g of Ginger

3 cloves of Garlic

30ml of Olive oil

250g of 

Baby Plum Tomatoes

40g of Tomato paste

30g of Butter

1 Bay leaf 

1 tsp of Aniseed

400g of peeled Prawns

20g of Basil

30g of Rosemary

Pinch of grated Nutmeg 

Salt & Pepper to taste 

METHOD 

Watch how to prepare my signature Spaghetti recipe 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.

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.

THE TASTIEST NIGERIAN GBEGIRI SOUP (SMOKY BEAN SOUP) RECIPE

Inspired by the Nigerian Beans soup known as ‘Gbegiri’ and the availability of ingredients, I have created this Pescatarian Bean soup recipe which is a must try.

Traditionally this soup is served with the Nigerian Ewedu soup (Molokai / Jute leaves soup), however I prefer it on its own.

Similarly in the Northern part of Ghana a dish known as Tuo Zaafi has a similar mixture of flavours with Ademe/Molokai/Jute leaves/Ewedu. 

The only difference is one is served with a rich spiced Tomato stew and the other with this smoky Beans soup.

The recipe for Tuo Zaafi is available on my YouTube channel ‘Ndudu by Fafa’ below;

I enjoyed this soup both hot and cold and it was still packed with flavours and absolutely gorgeous.

I will love to read your feedback about your experience in trying this recipe.

Watch how to peel your black eyed beans below for this recipe 

INGREDIENTS 

200g of peeled and soaked black eyed beans

1 large smoked Tilapia or your preferred smoked Fish

1 Habanero Chilli

1.5 litres of Water

1 large Onion

1 large optional Red pepper (optional)

I teaspoonful of Shrimp powder

1 tablespoonful of Palm oil

Salt to taste

SPICE MIX

20g of Ginger

1 medium sized Onion 

METHOD 

Watch how to prepare this nutritious  soup 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.

TASTIEST VEGETARIAN AYAMASE (GREEN PEPPER) SAUCE RECIPE

"Ayamase" sauce is a popular Nigerian stew made with Green Peppers, Chilli, bleached Palm oil and assorted meat.

Inspired by this stew I set myself a challenge to create both a Vegetarian and Lacto-ovo Vegetarian version using assorted Mushrooms for flavour and texture.

The recipe also includes Dawadawa (fermented Locust Beans) which has a pungent smell but similar in taste to Truffles. 

In keeping with the Vegetarian theme it’s best to use Truffle oil as a substitute for the fermented locust beans (Dawadawa).

Be creative and try including either Tofu or Paneer Cheese to the stew.

This stew works as a perfect base for fried rice or can be enjoyed with either Cumin or Dawadawa rice. You will find both Rice recipes on my YouTube channel, ‘Ndudu by Fafa’.

INGREDIENTS 

3 large Green Peppers

3 bunches of Spring Onions

10 Kasoa Peppers or 1 Habanero Chilli

3 cloves of Garlic

1 teaspoonful of Aniseed (optional)

1 teaspoonful of Dawadawa powder or 3 tablespoonfuls of Truffle oil

2 large sliced Onions

20ml of Coconut oil

3 Grains of Selim (Hwentia) or 1 levelled teaspoonful of milled Black Peppercorns 

3 whole African Nutmeg or half a teaspoon of grated Nutmeg 

1kg of mixed Mushrooms (Shitake Mushrooms, Chestnut Mushrooms, Oyster Mushrooms etc)

Salt to taste

4 boiled Eggs

METHOD 

Watch how to prepare this flavour packed West African Vegetarian stew below;

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

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

CORN MEAL PORRIDGE ( KOKO / KOOKO)

Fermented Corn meal porridge, popularly referred to as 'Koko' or 'Kooko' in Ghana, is the quickest gluten free porridge to enjoy at breakfast. 

This recipe has the chaff removed for a silky smooth finish. Alternatively prepare the porridge without separating the chaff, which then gives the porridge its fibre content. 

Even though this is a straight forward recipe, it's easy to end up with a lumpy porridge. 

The only way to prevent a lumpy porridge is to constantly stir the mixture till it's cooked. Interestingly enough there's something gratifying from enjoying a bowl of hot Koko after dinner. The texture and beautiful taste derived from  adding roasted Peanuts or Groundnuts to the porridge makes it addictive. 

My Uncle enjoys a bowl of this porridge before he goes to bed every day; it's his version of a 'warm milk'.

The level of consistency of the porridge depends on your personal preference. If you wish for a thicker consistency, then use less water and for a lighter version, you add a bit more water. You can also choose to add milk to your porridge; if so, use 25ml less of water for this recipe and replace it with 25 ml of milk.

I've served this Porridge with Bofrot/Boflot/Doughnuts which is also a popular pairing in Ghana. 

Find recipes for both the wet and dry Ghanaian doughnuts on my blog and YouTube channel 'Ndudu by Fafa'. 

Ingredients 

60g of fermented milled Corn meal

250ml of water

2 Grains of Selim (Hwentia) optional 

1 tablespoonful of Sugar

Quarter of a teaspoon of salt

 

Method 

Place the corn meal and water into a bowl. Mix till well combined.

Using a colander and another bowl, strain the corn juice off its chaff. Repeat the process of straining till you have a smooth juice. 

 

Pour the smooth corn juice into a saucepan, add the salt and place on a medium heat. 

Using a wooden spatula, continue to stir the corn juice till you have a thick double cream consistency.

Tip

It's imperative to consistently stir the mixture, till its cooked. This is to prevent a lumpy porridge.

Add the Grains of Selim and Sugar to the porridge and continue to stir for another minute. 

Serve whilst hot , (discarding the Grains of Selim) with freshly made doughnut for that traditional Ghanaian breakfast or roasted Peanuts.

 Watch how to make the Corn meal porridge below;

Find more inspiring recipes on my YouTube channel,'Ndudu by Fafa' like the wet version of the popular Ghanaian doughnut and don't forget to subscribe.

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

ROCK BUNS, ROCK CAKES, ROCK ON!

Rock buns were firm favourites of my Mum for special occasions, particularly on my birthday. The Rock buns were served with a chilled glass bottle of Coca Cola, Muscatella or Fanta. 
The ones Mum made were firmer than this recipe, however that can be achieved by eliminating the Baking Soda and baking it a little longer. Mum also made ones with Coconut flour which I'll update my blog with the recipe soon.

Enjoy this childhood snack which is also an old English classic snack.

This recipe will give you a crunchy exterior and a fluffy texture within. Use a fork to pick the surfaces up, which accentuates the rock like look of this snack when baked.

Enjoy!

 

INGREDIENTS

450g of self raising flour.

200g of Green Raisins 

150g of caster sugar

125g of peeled and crushed Pistachios 

1 teaspoon of baking soda

250g of butter 

2 beaten eggs

2 tablespoonful of milk (if needed)

A pinch of ground Mace or Nutmeg

2 tablespoonful of Vanilla extract. 

Salt to taste

 

METHOD 

Place your butter in the fridge or freezer to it harden up.

Sift the flour, Mace / Nutmeg and baking soda into a bowl. 

Add the Sugar and grate the butter into the mixture.

Using both hands,  rub the mixture between your Palm till you have a bread crumb consistency.

Add the crushed Pistachios and raisins and mix till well combined.

Add the beaten egg and Vanilla extract and mix everything together into lumpy dough. (If the mixture is too dry add a little milk for a wet dough).

Preheat your oven to 180*c

Scoop a tablespoonful of the mixture onto a baking sheet (making sure you space them as they spread when baked). 

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. 

 

Let the Rock buns cool down for a minute and transfer to a wire rack.

You can store it in an airtight container if any is left .

 

Enjoy this with my Alasa Mocktail drink which is available on my YouTube page. 

Don't forget to subscribe and try the recipe.

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

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

OIL FREE SEAFOOD OKRO SOUP

 

Okra soup or Fetri detsi is one of the traditional dishes from the Ewe tribe in West Africa. There are various ways of making Okro soup including cooking it with Zomi (spiced Palm oil), Sunflower oil or an oil free option. 

One can choose to use either Beef, Goat meat, Lamb, Chicken, Fish , Seafood or a mixture of both Meat and Fish as their choice of protein. 

This dish is inspired by my Aunty Anna who lived in a town called Mpraeso in the Kwahu mountains of Ghana (where I attended boarding school). She made the Okra with smoked Tilapia and fresh ingredients she  picked from her farm earlier in the day.

 I watched in anticipation (with my ball of Banku ready) as she added the shredded , freshly picked Cocoyam leaves to the soup (knowing the soup would be ready soon) and not wasting time to extend my bowl of Banku for my share of the soup. 

On one occasion my cousins and I feasted on this delicacy, going for seconds till we couldn't stand up. 

We had to run to relieve our intentional discomfort which reeked of gluttony. Childhood shenanigans...

SMOKED TILAPIA

There was no stock cube in sight as the flavour of the smoked Tilapia gave the dish its needed flavour.

The fresh nature of her ingredients gave the dish a clean and smoky taste packed with bags of natural flavours.

 

You can purchase smoked Tilapia from most African grocers or alternatively slow grill a fresh one for 2 hours at 140*c.

CHILLIES

Chillies do play a pivotal role in most West African dishes.They provide the obvious heat to most dishes and also a unique aromatic taste. 

I've noticed most Chillies in the UK lack the aromatic smell and flavour I'm describing here. You're more likely to find the aromatic kind at an African grocer.

 

AKAUN / KAUN / POTASH

Akaun is a natural lake salt that forms during the rainy season and dries out into a firm grey rough like rock in the dry season. It's best used to tenderise meat, soften pulses when cooked and activates the mucilage of Okra, which works well with this recipe.

There are different types of Akaun which includes one made from unripened Plantain peels or Palm fruit ashes , which are a healthier alternatives. 

Akaun is used in this recipe to activate the Okra's viscosity but it can be omitted and pulsed in a food processor. 

Akaun is available in most African grocers , however you can use Bicarbonate Soda  in the absence of Akaun. 

 

OKRA / OKRO

Ladies fingers/ Gumbo / Bhindi

When choosing your Okra/ Okro, ensure it has an even green colour all over and the tip snaps easily with little pressure.

The Okra needs to be finely diced for this recipe or for an easier option, blend it with a little water in a food processor.

Let's start cooking!

 

INGREDIENTS 

400g of finely diced Okra

1 large smoked Tilapia 

250g of fresh Prawns

200g of Shitake Mushrooms 

1 large Onion

1 Habanero chilli

1 medium finely sliced Onion

30g of grated Ginger 

Half a teaspoon of Akaun (Optional).

2 cloves of grated Garlic 

350g of fresh Spinach 

500g of fresh dressed Crab

1 litre of Water or Vegetable stock

 

METHOD

Blend the Ginger, Aniseed, Garlic and Onion into a smooth paste.

Place the smoked Tilapia, a litre of water into a large saucepan and place on a medium heat. 

Add the sliced Onions and half of the Ginger mix and boil for about 30 minutes.

This process is to create your own stock for the soup.

Add the Crabs and cook further for 10 minutes. This will allow the flavour of the crab to infuse into the stock and vice versa.

 

At this stage add the chopped Okra, Akaun , the remaining Ginger mix and stir. 

I prefer to add the remaining Ginger mix at this stage , as it gives the soup a refreshing and spicy taste.

Cook for 4 minutes and add the Prawns.

It's best to add the Prawns and Spinach as the last thing (this ensures they aren't over cooked and retain their nutrients).

Cook the Prawns for 2 minutes and add the washed Spinach. 

 Mix everything together and turn the heat off.

Cover the soup with the lid of the saucepan and let it rest for 2 minutes. This will trap the steam and cook the Prawns and Spinach further.

 

Serve immediately and enjoy it on its own or with AmoKple.

Find the AmoKple recipe on my YouTube channel , 'Ndudu by Fafa'. 

I've written about a few different Okra recipes on my blog, do check it out. 

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

SUYA BEEF FRIED RICE

As I opened my fridge, I saw my leftover rice and Beef Suya and decided on making fried rice for my packed lunch. 

Realistically, I could've made a simple egg fried rice but I craved for the Beef Suya I had the night before. 

The Suya gives the dish a spicy and nutty flavour which is perfect to enjoy in this cold weather.

If you're lucky enough to have a charcoal grill use it to cook your meat for a smoky flavour. 

Enjoy this easy to follow recipe and share your pictures.

Ingredients 

300g of cooked Jasmine Rice 

40g of Suya spice mix

2 tablespoonfuls of Coconut oil / Olive oil

30g of Spring onions 

20g of chopped Coriander 

600g of Rump steak

10g of chopped Oregano (optional)

1 tablespoonful of Chipotle chillies 

2 sliced Green Peppers

2 large finely sliced Onions

Salt to taste

 Method 
Learn how to make your own Suya by watching the video below;

Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel, 'Ndudu by Fafa'. 

Mix the Suya spice with Chipotle chillies (readily available in most supermarkets) and warm it up in a frying pan, as shown below. 

Warming your Suya spice mix releases the oil and flavours. 

 

Using a meat tenderiser (available online) beat the meat to break down its fibres (this makes the meat tender when cooked).

 If you don't have a meat tenderiser use a rolling pin instead. Your meat should look flattened after been tenderised.

 If you're using a tough cut of meat, this process of tenderising ensures you have a soft and tender meat. 

 

Place your sliced Onions and Green Peppers in a baking tray.

Sprinkle your meat with Suya spice mix and rub it on both sides. 

Sit the meat on top of the Onion and Green Pepper slices (as shown above). 

Place your Suya spiced meat in the fridge to marinade for at least an hour. This allows the meat to absorb the flavours of the Suya spice. 

When you're ready to cook your meat, take the meat from the fridge and bring it to room temperature for about 15 minutes. 

Pre heat your grill to 200*c.

Drizzle the meat with 1 tablespoonful of Coconut oil or Olive oil and Oregano (optional).

Place your meat under the grill and cook for 6 minutes.

Take the meat out of the grill and leave it to rest. 

In a Wok or frying pan add the remaining Coconut oil and place on a medium heat.

Add the rice and fry for 4 minutes, ensuring you consistently stir it. 

Add the juices from the meat, mix and fry for another minute.

Slice the meat into sizeable chunks and add it to the rice. Fry the rice for a further 2 minutes and add the grilled Onions and Green peppers. 

Mix everything together, sprinkle the chopped Spring Onions and fresh Coriander over the rice. 

Serve immediately and enjoy with a Pineapple and Ginger smoothie. The perfect remedy for this cold weather. I managed to capture the Suya fried rice on my frozen glass table, as shown below. 

 

Try the recipe and l love to read your feedback, hence don't forget to leave a comment and also share the recipe. 

Find more inspiring recipes on my Youtube channel 'Ndudu by Fafa', like this Waakye recipes. 

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