THE TASTIEST GHANAIAN PALMNUT SOUP RECIPE

Thanks to EZ Palmnut, I’m able to make Palmnut soup from scratch without the hassle.

In a previous post CLICK HERE I mentioned how labour intensive the process of making the Palmnut soup from scratch can be; however EZ Palmnut has the solution;

Barbara Mantey started her Palmnut business in 2016 as she needed a quick way to prepare fresh and delicious Palmnut soup after her third child. According to Barbara, she followed the notion that Palmnut soup allowed nursing mothers produce more milk and she wanted to take the hassle away from new Mums. 

The EZ Palmnut is mixed with Turkey Berries which increases ones red blood cells and aids digestion. Barbara is dedicated to her business and plans to expand it by exporting it to the rest of the world by the end of the year.

Barbara contacted me via Instagram when she heard I was in Ghana. Challenging as it might be, she managed to send me a few of her products including Palm oil. Due to weight restrictions I was only able to bring the pounded Palm fruit back to my Kitchen to prepare this Palmnut soup recipe. 

The beauty about making Palmnut soup is also been able to extract some Palm oil from the soup, which in turn can be used for Beans stew etc.

As you can see below, I’ve scooped the oil from the soup and will use it in another recipe coming soon.

Contact;

Barbara Mantey

Ez(easy) PALMNUT concentrate 

P.O.Box TN 2041

Teshie Nungua 

Tel: 0246 539120

Palmnut soup is best served with Fufu. Watch how to prepare an all natural fresh Fufu in a pot without pounding below;

For the list of ingredients 

1 packet of EZ Palmnut

1.5 litres of warm water

3 large Onions

2 large Tomatoes 

150g of Okra (Optional)

100g of Garden Eggs (Optional)

3 Habanero chillies

10g of Pettie Belle Chillies

3 whole Grains of Selim pods ( Hwentia)

3 tablespoonful of Shrimp powder

1 tablespoon of Dawadawa powder (Nere seeds)

1 teaspoonful of blended African Nutmeg 

1 tablespoon of smoked Paprika (Optional)

1kg of Goat Meat 

3 tablespoonful of blended Ginger, Onion and Aniseed

1kg of assorted smoked Fish (Cat Fish, Smoked Tuna)

150g of Mushrooms 

Salt to taste

Watch how to prepare this naturally flavour packed soup on my YouTube channel, ‘Ndudu by Fafa’ below;

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

TASTIEST ABOMU RECIPE ( SPINACH SAUCE IN AN EARTHEN CLAY BOWL)

Happy Mother’s Day! 

In commemoration of Mother’s Day (for the rest of the world), since Mother’s Day in the UK was in March and my Mums second Mothers Day celebration, here is a classic Ghanaian recipe, ABOM.

ABOM is made from Cocoyam leaves, Chillies, Onions, Salted fish and Palm oil. 

It’s an easy to follow recipe which is equally healthy (if you limit the amount of Palm oil you use). 

This recipe has an unusual twist, which is the inclusion of Pinenuts. What? Pinenuts! Get out of here😜

Whenever I prepare my ABOM, I do include a few roasted Peanuts for that creamier and slight nuttier taste. In the absence of roasted Peanuts I settled for Pinenuts, which worked incredibly well. Trust me, your Mum will appreciate the newish flavour 👌🏾😘

The challenges one faces for living in the diaspora includes the difficulty in sourcing authentic Ghanaian produce, hence one has to be creative and improvise. In place of Cocoyam leaves, Spinach was used for this recipe which is readily available at most local grocers.

INGREDIENTS 

For this recipe you will need the following ingredients;

400g of Organic Spinach or Cocoyam leaves

1 sliced large Onion

20g of Pettie Belle Chillies (Kpakposhito)

10g of Peanuts or Pinenuts (Optional)

185g of Salted Fish (Koobi)

150g of tinned Sardines in Tomato sauce

30ml of Zomi or Palm oil

Salt to taste

METHOD 

Watch how to prepare this delicious Ghanaian dish below on my YouTube channel, ‘Ndudu by Fafa’.

On this day, spare a thought for those who’ve lost their children, Mums or are struggling to conceive. Why not create this recipe and invite the aforementioned individuals, if you know of any to put a smile on their faces. Equally enjoy this dish with your Mum and make her feel special. 

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

GRILLED AROMATIC and SMOKY PRAWNS RECIPE

Fresh Prawns, marinated in an aromatic and spicy marinade, which is then grilled or char grilled is a must try recipe for this summer. The flavours are intoxicating coupled with the smokiness from the grill.

Don’t take what I say as gospel, however try it and I’m more than happy to accept the ‘thank you’s’ 😜

I’ve omitted Garlic from this recipe as I didn’t want the burnt flavour when grilled, however I’ve replaced it with Chimichurri sauce which was incredible. 

Recipe below for the Chimichurri sauce;

This recipe was created on an evening of a week day for dinner as I made Tapas. It’s an easy to follow recipe , packed with flavours and a must try. 

To try this recipe you will need the following;

INGREDIENTS 

500g of Fresh Prawns

1 large Onion

30g of Ginger

1 teaspoonful of Aniseed 

Juice of 1 Lemon

Salt to taste

Watch how to prepare this delicious recipe in my YouTube channel, ‘Ndudu by Fafa’.

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

CRISPY DUCK INFUSED WITH ASIAN AND WEST AFRICAN SPICES

The art of creating a recipe goes hand in hand with educating  and introducing your palette to new flavours. When I’m about to create a recipe, I search for a distinctive flavour (which usually happens when I crave for something different).

The process of elimination and recipe testing can take up to 3 attempts till I get the desired flavour. Once I achieve that, I quickly write the winning recipe down and share with you all, both on my blog and YouTube channel, ‘Ndudu by Fafa’.

This particular day when I created this recipe, I wanted something aromatic with hints of residual heat. Guided by the an aromatic taste I wished for, I decided to include Fennel seeds for the liquorice taste, Cloves for that added heat, Guinea Peppers for that aromatic heat , Star Anise for that aromatic and slightly earthy flavour and Cinnamon for its added sweetness. 

After blending the spices into a powdery form I was excited since the smell was aromatic and rather heady. 

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoonful of Grains of Paradise/ Alligator Peppers/ Guinea Peppers

6 Star Anise or 1 teaspoonful of Aniseed 

1 tablespoonful of Fennel seeds

1 teaspoonful of Cinnamon Powder 

8 prices of cloves 

1 dressed Duck (Marks and Spencer’s)

1 tablespoonful of Sesame oil

METHOD 

Watch how to prepare this flavour packed crispy Duck below ;

Don’t forget to subscribe, like the video, try the recipe and share ❤️

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

TASTIEST SPATCHCOCK GRILLED CHICKEN RECIPE

Learn how to spice, Spatchcock or Butterfly your Chicken for an even and moist cook on my YouTube channel, ‘Ndudu by Fafa’.

This recipe is easy to follow and packed with all natural flavours . The smoky Red Chillies coupled with the Caraway seeds gives this dish a smoky and aromatic taste. 

Best to serve this smoky and grilled Spatchcock Chicken with a bowl of crunchy Green Salad.

Don’t forget to like the videos in my YouTube channel, try the recipes and leave comments with your feedback.

INGREDIENTS 

1.5kg or Corn fed free range or Organic Chicken 

3 tablespoonful of Olive oil

1 large zest and juice of Lemon

MARINADE

50g of smoked dried Red Chillies 

1 large Onion

2 cloves of Garlic 

1 teaspoonful of Caraway seeds (Alternatively use Aniseed or Cumin seeds)

Salt to taste

SERVE

Thinly sliced 1 large Onion

15g of shredded fresh Basil (Alternatively you can use Parsley or Coriander)

METHOD 

Watch how to create this tasty grilled Spatchcock Chicken on my YouTube channel, ‘Ndudu by Fafa’ below;

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

THE TASTIEST WATERLEAF STEW RECIPE

The last time I enjoyed Water Leaves stew was over 20 years ago. During my childhood, Mum and I had the Water Leaves stew at least once a week with either boiled Yam, Plantain or Rice. 

Originally from West Africa, Water leaves are rich in Vitamin E, C , Omega 3 fatty acids, low in calories, high in fibre and are great antioxidants (to mention but a few). 

I promised myself to source and cook dishes I had during my childhood, when I visited Ghana. 

The main reason for visiting Ghana was to reconnect and create new memories with Mum. 

Naturally, I handed my list of ingredients to Mum as we headed to Mallam Atta Market to source the ingredients. Mallam Atta Market has always been my favourite Market to source fresh ingredients and I’m particularly fond of the market ladies; I find them warm, welcoming and helpful. 

This recipe is inspired by my how my Mum prepared this stew during my childhood. You can cut the leaves into pieces or use them whole as per your choosing. 

Please leave comments below if you know where one can get fresh Water Leaves from in the diaspora.

INGREDIENTS 

450g of Water leaves 

30ml of Zomi or Palm oil

1 large Onion

1 Habanero chilli 

2 tablespoonful of Shrimp powder 

Half a teaspoon of ground African Nutmeg (Optional)

2 tablespoonful of blended Ginger, Onion and Aniseed 

250g of blended fresh Tomatoes 

500g of smoked or grilled Mackerel 

150g of blended Melon seeds (Egusi/Agushi)

Salt to taste

METHOD 

Watch how to prepare this delicious and creative recipe on my YouTube channel, ‘Ndudu by Fafa’ below;

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

WAGASHI (GHANAIAN CHEESE) SALAD RECIPE

The Fulani’s (from the Northern part of Ghana) first introduced Wagashi into Ghana.

The Cheese is made from Cows milk and it’s naturally delicate in taste. 

Milk is mixed with the pounded bark of a Sodom Plant tree and Salt to make Wagashi.  The mixture is then drained and boiled till it solidifies. 

The Salt acts as a preservative and in some cases the cheese is soaked into a Millet leaf brine for a pinkish colour.

Unlike most Cheeses, Wagashi does not melt at high temperatures, however when fried it has a soft and fluffy texture.

Wagashi is popular and readily available in Nima (a suburb of Accra) which is inhabited my most Northerners of Ghana.

Wagashi can be fried or grilled, added to Stews, Soups , Jollof rice and Salads. 

It’s the only cheese made in Ghana and a must try. 

During my visit to Ghana, I couldn’t help but indulge in this Cheese including making this recipe. I hope you’re inspired to try it. This recipe omits Salt as the Cheese has a salty taste. 

INGREDIENTS

300g of Wagashi cheese or Indian Paneer

Groundnut oil

SALAD

200g of Green Salad leaves 

2 sliced Cucumbers 

1 thinly sliced Red or White Onion

1 teaspoonful of Chipotle chillies or any Chilli flakes.

SALAD DRESSING 

3 tablespoonfuls of Olive oil

1 teaspoonful of Honey

Pinch of milled Black Peppercorns 

METHOD 

Watch how to make this simple and equally delicious on my YouTube channel, ‘Ndudu by Fafa’. 

Don’t forget to like the video, leave comments with your feedback and share with your family and friends. 

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