Recipe for 'Kelewele' (Spiced cubed ripened Plantain)

'Kelewele' (cubed and spiced ripened Plantain) is a famous street food in Ghana. Interestingly it's available in the evenings and by 6pm there are long queues for this Ghanaian delicacy. Paying homage to all the 'Kelewele' sellers in Ghana, here is a simple and quick to follow recipe. 

Serves 6

Ingredients

4 Ripened plantains cut in cubes

1 teaspoon of all spice mix

Half a teaspoon of powdered red chilli

1 teaspoon of grated ginger

1 tablespoon of finely diced onion

Half a teaspoon of oregano (Optional)

1 litre of vegetable oil. 

Method

In a bowl add the spice mix, powdered chilli, ginger, onion and (optional) oregano.

Add the diced Plantain and mix well. 

Place a saucepan with the vegetable oil on a medium heat till it's hot or reaches 190*c

Add the spiced Plantain and fry till it's golden which should take about 4 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the golden and caramelised looking Plantain to a clean kitchen napkin to blot the excess oil.

Serve warm and enjoy with a Chilled bottle of beer (Club, Guilder or Star beer) or better still a chilled calabash full of fresh Palm wine. 

Recipe for Plantain chips

Plantain is a staple in most African and Caribbean dishes. This recipe is a favourite of most and it's always served at most events. 

For this recipe you require an un-ripened Plantain which helps give the chips it crunch.

Serves 6

Ingredients

4 un-ripened Plantain

1 litre of Vegetable for for deep frying

A Potato peeler

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

Remove the fruit and discard the skin

Using the potato peeler slice the fruit into long strips as shown below

Place a saucepan or a wok on a high heat till it's hot but not smoking

Test the temperature of the oil by placing a strip of Plantain to the oil. If it sizzles you have the perfect temperature. 

Place the individual strips carefully to the oil, making sure you don't splash any hot oil. 

Using a slotted spoon, feel for the crispness (which should take about a minute) of the Plantain. If it's crispy remove and place them on a kitchen towel to absorb any excess oil. 

Follow the above method till you fry all the strips. 

Sprinkle with salt or pepper and serve. Best served with plain roasted peanuts. 

AN AFRICAN TABLE SETTING

Christmas is the time to share, heal, bond and appreciate life with your family and friends. 

In honour of having an African inspired Christmas, I have compiled a few inspiration to achieve the perfect table setting and menu. 

Use old or left over fabrics as wrapping paper for your gifts. This is a bold and confident statement about your culture. 

Inspired by the Ghanaian 'raw pepper' which is a spicy salsa, (made from chillies, onions, tomatoes ,salt to taste and crushed in an earthenware clay mortar), best accompanied with hot 'Kenkey' , 'Akple' (made from maize) , boiled Yam etc. Most Ghanaian families use the 'Aportoyewa' (clay mortar) to grind their spicies or as a bowl to serve food. 

Be clever with your Christmas budget and don't spend more than you have to. In this instance, I've used ingredients for the 'raw pepper' as props for the table setting. Use whatever fruits, herbs or vegetables in your kitchen and be creative. 

Give your guests something to talk about by using props from a history you would like to share. Inspired by the 'Golden stool' and Komfo Anokye, I have used miniature stools which are readily available in Ghana and a gold sprayed pine cone to represent this rich history. 

Handwrite a short story about the topic you choose. Photocopy your story and use as a placemat. Let every design and touch depict a bit of history. 

The sweet spicy smell of Grains of Selim or Negro Peppers (Etso, known in the Ewe tribe of Ghana) is a great addition to your table setting, as used above. 

Be inspired and have a great Christmas. #Ndudu

Follow me on Instagram @Ndudu_by_fafa  and don't forget to leave a comment. 

Harmattan Christmas with Pawpaw

December in Ghana, with the dry season in tow, family from across the diaspora visiting home to celebrate Christmas, the pop up bars, eateries and shops to accommodate the throng of people, the general excitement of the children, the work overload of Tailors and Seamstresses to finish their handiwork, the well fed Chicken running to pick at the maize thrown it's way (oblivious to the fate that awaits it on Christmas day) is a unique experience.          

Christmas as a child in Ghana meant something new, loads of fuss from visiting Uncles and Aunties, who secretly hand you some money for a treat or two, new clothing, shoes and as a girl a new hairstyle (where the natural hair is chemically straightened, a hot comb passed through the hair or braided and held tightly, (where the foreheads are on full display). 

Painting by Kofi Agorsor, one of the finest artist in Ghana

The best part of Christmas for children is the game 'Try your luck'. The game is a board full of different sizes of balloons , you pay, guess a number and hope it's for a bigger balloon. This ignites a competitive streak in the kids as they always wish to win the bigger balloons. 

My memory of visiting 'Makola' (central market) in the centre of 'Accra' (capital of Ghana) during December was that of a busy scene with people bargaining, negotiating , sweating, the 'mate' (bus conductor) for the 'Trotro' (local public bus) screaming 'Circle, Circle' and passengers hurriedly joining the bus, as it's stopped right in the middle of traffic, the vast amount of different Christmas decorations that glitter as they catch the sun, occasional stench from the open gutters added to heightened sense of excitement in the air. 

A walk through the market on a rather hot afternoon with the market ladies shouting 'Awula (lady) have a look at my wares', the architectural assembly of tomatoes, (I'm always tempted to shake them) the wide beamed hats of the ladies (shading themselves from the hot weather), the beads of sweat running down their faces and the display of fresh produce for the buying public is intoxicating. The sight of the Coconut seller pushing his track and stopping as several people call for his attention 'Kube Wra' and a glance of the 'Asaana' seller serving a quench busting portion of her drink in Calabash with ice cubes, gives one a difficult choice to make. 

On Christmas morning (almost 80% of Ghanaians are christians) you'll find  both men and women in the most colourful outfit made out of African prints or Kente ( a handwoven Ghanaian cloth) all heading to church. 

Church on Christmas day is one filled with excitement, a charged atmosphere of hymns and everyone wishing each other a merry Christmas. 

The other trend in Ghana was the 'Xmas Box' which most businesses had and one was encouraged to leave money in the box as a form of a Christmas token. 

After lunch most families head off home to enjoy their special meal, which could be Fried Chicken with Jollof rice, Ghanaian rich Salad, Fufu (made out of Plantain and Cassava) light soup, peanut butter soup or Palm nut soup (usually cooked with Chicken, Goat meat, Beef or fish)

In the evening most familes and friends visit each other and they are plied with more food. An authentic Christmas in Ghana always has Picadilly biscuits and Danish cookies involved. 

Christmas presents wasn't a requirement in Ghana, (however i stand corrected if things have changed) one was encouraged to exchange food and donate to the needy. 

Remember the essence of Christmas, help a needy family, be grateful and don't forget to laugh. Merry Christmas! 

Thanks to Ohema Adjoa for the Picadilly biscuit picture. All other pictures are from the author of this blog. 

A December to Barbados Pt 2

Watching the view from our window, day dreaming on how far we've travelled, the billowing waves with their roar, the little bird with tiny feet picking at, what I can only assume are tiny Molluscs running away from the tide and the peeping sand crabs, who occasionally come out  and hurriedly escapes back to the burrow at the sound of any movement is rather mesmerising. 

Sand Crab

After brunch, I feasted my eyes on each wave after wave, the turquoise sea, trying to relax, taking my new environs in and dreaming about the Tuna and the other groceries we bought earlier for lunch.

A story,I forgot to mention in my previous blog post was about our trip to the fishmongers. During our holiday to Barbados in 2012 I wanted freshly caught Red Snapper that I could fry and have just as I would in Ghana. 

We were advised then, due to the time of year we visited ,we wil be lucky to get freshly caught Snapper. The lady advised we needed to come almost at dawn when the fishermen came to shore to have a fighting chance of getting the elusive Snapper. 

               View from my window (Barbados)

On our way to the fishmongers, we saw this lady gutting the most beautiful freshly caught Snapper and we hurriedly went over, asking how much she needed for the fish. The lady wasn't particularly friendly and with clenched teeth advised they weren't for sale. I was a little bit insistent for her to sell, excited about my discovery and was disappointed my enthusiasm wasn't matched by the lady. 

I looked at the lady's surroundings and gathered she was in her own private kitchen, probably cooking lunch for her family and here I am asking her to sell her food. Shame on me; I muttered under my breath, made the necessary excuses and scappered back to the car with mixed emotions. 

We ended up buying freshly caught Tuna for lunch and I started dreaming of ways to complement this beautiful fish for lunch. 

The Fish monger in Barbados

We bought Plantain, Okra, Courgettes,Red peppers and  sprouted beans also from the lady grocer earlier and together with my homemade Zaatar mix, I sensed it will be a light flavoursome lunch.

When I saw the Plantain at the stall, I readily thought of 'Kelewele' a street food popular in Ghana, which made out of cubed ripened Plantain with added spices. I cubed the Plantain, added some Bajan hot pepper sauce, oregano, finely diced shallots, grated ginger, salt and pepper to taste. I deep fried the Plantain till golden brown and served with honey roasted peanuts we got from the shops. The 'Kelewele' was 'woofed' down, which wasn't a surprise as it tasted great ( even if I say so). The fried spiced plantain has a spiced caramelised and somewhat crunchy outer bite and a soft and sweet centre, which goes best with chilled beer. (A perfect pre starter if you want to get your guest talking). 

                                                                                 Kelewele

The courgettes and red peppers were cut to size and tossed in an olive oil and oregano marinade ready for the barbecue.

  Barbecued Red Peppers

Using a frying pan on a very high heat (as there was no griddle pan) I rubbed the Tuna steaks (3 inches thick) with olive oil and rolled them in the Zaatar mix. I placed the Tuna in the frying pan and sealed it quickly on both sides for a minute. 

                         Pan seared Tuna 

The courgettes and red peppers were barbecued and perfectly charred, the dressing of mustard, olive oil, oregano, black pepper, salt and lime juice complimented the sprouted beans with shallots. Lunch was definatley ready with a chilled glass of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc (bought from the duty free shop at the Bajan airport). 

Pan seared Tuna with roasted courgettes, red pepper, Venus black rice (got from my local shop in Twickenham) and sprouted beans tossed in a mustard and oregano dressing. 

We all sat for a hearty meal, conversating about the adventures ahead of us, sipping on the delicious crisp cold wine, which was a great welcome to the warm lips and a sensation enhancer to our palette. Bon appetite!

A December to Barbados

After 9 hrs we arrived in Barbados and we were ushered to our hired vehicle for the  next 8 days of bliss. My husband and I made this trip in 2012 and vowed to return. Our favourite place to stay is Little Good Harbour' a self catering boutique hotel. We hired the beach front cottage with it's own garden, outside barbecue station and a well equipped kitchen (ideal necessities for a chef on holiday)

 The cottage is breathtaking with 3 huge windows (the windows are situated individually in the living room and 2 bedrooms) opening up to the Carribean sea literally on our doorstep. The cottage is our 'Home' for the next 8days. 

 The sound of waves crushing through the rocks, the harmonious loud cricket sounds indicated an evening adventure far from the UK. 

My idea of a great holiday centres around good food, wine and where I can immerse myself in the culture with a sense of friendliness and belonging. Barbados offers a serene,welcoming ambience, picturesque sunset and adventure. Barbados is an island surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on oneside and the Carribean sea on the other. 

I promised myself not to miss a day of sunshine, the roaring and calming sea with everything else this beautiful island had to offer. I woke up at 4am the next day to sit by the window sill, watch the sea, the sunrise, listen to the chirping birds with Kodjo Antwi's 'Ponkor a bodam', a nostalgic song that resonates with my teenage years in Ghana, playing in the background.

It was during this reflective and meditative mood that I decided to blog about my experience and capture every moment.

By late morning we decided to visit the local fishmongers' for 'the catch of the day' and get some fruits and vegetables for our stay. The fishmonger had on display freshly caught Tuna, Sword fish and Baracuda. We bought a kilo of Tuna costing £15 and watch with awe the skill of the fishmonger carving our portion. One will salivate just looking at this freshly caught soft Tuna and dream of all the dishes one will make. 

Next to the fishmongers was a fresh produce stall with Okra, Sweet potatoes, Mangoes, Avocados, Water Yam, Plantain etc (much to my surprise). Naturally we purchased some of the above ingredients for our meals during the week and hurried back to the cottage to enjoy the sea.

I was particularly excited about the ingredients we purchased, which had my creative juices flowing and my taste buds heightened. For brunch I made, soft boiled eggs with avocado and sprouted beans in a mustard dressing  and fruit salad.

Soft boiled eggs with Bajan oily Avocado and sprouted beans tossed in a mustard dressing.

Fruit salad of Mangoes, Papaya (Pawpaw, how we Ghanaians call it) and banana in a freshly squeezed orange juice. 

After brunch we went swimming (which in my case is paddle in the sea) and relaxed at the beach with a thirst quenching Rum and Coke with a hint of lemon dreaming about lunch. 

Read about lunch and more in the next blog. 

Spiced Plantain cake recipe

Plantains are part of the Banana family of Genus Musa. In differentiating between the two, bananas are generally eaten raw and are sweeter in taste whereby Plantains are cooked before eating. 

Plantains are larger, starchier, sweeter when ripened and are rich in Vitamins A & D. They are staples in most West African homes and are treated as potatoes, (steamed, boiled, roasted,fried etc).

There are different ways of cooking Plantain both ripened or unripened and on this occasion I'm using the over-ripened plantain. 

This is an in-expensive flavourful dish which you should include in your Christmas Lunch or dinner. 

Ingredients;

4 over-ripened plantain

Spice Mix

15g ginger

2 shallots, peeled and chopped

1 green chilli

1 clove

2 cups of  self raising flour

1 large egg

100g of chopped coriander

Salt 

Half a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Ripened Plantain

Method;

Blend the spice mix together to a smooth paste.

In a bowl peel the over-ripened Plantain and add the spice mix and egg. Using your clean hands mash the mixture between your fingers till you have a coarse texture. 

Add the flour and black pepper and mix, till combined.

 Cut the coriander roughly and add to the mix.

Add salt to taste. 

Leave the mixture to rest for at least 20 minutes, to allow the flavours to infuse. 

Whilst waiting for the mixture to rest, pre heat your oven to 180*c and grease a baking tin.  

Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 25 minutes. The cake should rise and have a golden brown crust at the top. Insert a skewer and if it comes out clean, your cake is done. 

Leave to rest for 3 minutes, turn your cake out onto a flat surface and serve warm. 

 Serve with a nice spicy tomato sauce or Bambara nuts stew.

Perfect with fresh Pineapple juice or Palm wine. All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog.