Senegalese Soup

Senegalese Soup is a creamed curry soup that features a mix of fresh ingredients and spices.

2 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 teaspoon curry powder

3 sticks cinnamon

1 tsp. whole cloves

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon red currant jelly

1 tablespoon tomato puree

2-1/4 tablespoon. Tomato puree

2-1/4 tablespoons almond paste

5 cups vegetable broth

3 tablespoons buttermilk

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups heavy cream

grated coconut, toasted

In a large pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook the onion, carrot, and celery in the butter over moderate heat, stirring, until they are tender (about 8-10 minutes). Add the curry powder and blend thoroughly with the vegetables. Add and mix in the cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, jelly, tomato puree, almond paste, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour, skimming off the foam that rises to the surface.

Kneed 3 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons of flour. Gradually blend small pieces of this paste into the soup, using a wire whisk. Cook until slightly thickened (5-6 minutes). Strain and taste for seasonings; add salt and pepper to taste. Cool and refrigerate for at least three hours. Just before leaving on your picnic, add well-chilled cream and combine thoroughly with the soup. Carry the toasted coconut in a separate container. Garnish each serving with a generous sprinkle of coconut. Serves 6-8.

African Fufu Recipe Served with Stews, Soups and Sauces



Photo: Fufu served with stew and accompanied by various garnishes

FUFU (West Africa)

YAM PASTE BALLS

Fufu is enjoyed by many of the people of West Africa, including Ghana and Nigeria. Fufu is also made from cassava, cocoyam and plantain and is generally served with a soups, stews and sauces. To make your own yam fufu, following the following instructions.

Slice the yams crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds and then peel each slice. Drop the peeled yam into a bowl of cold water to prevent it from discoloring.

Combine the yam, water and salt in a heavy 2- to 3-quart saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low. Tightly cover the pan and cook for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the yam is under enough to easily mashed with a fork.

Drain the yam slices in a large colander. Then puree the yams through a food mill set over a large,   heavy earthenware or metal bowl.

Using an up-and-down motion, pound the yam vigorously with a large pestle or the smooth side of a wooden kitchen mallet. After four or five strokes, dip the pestle or mallet into cold water to keep the yam moist as you pound and to prevent it from sticking to the pestle. Repeat about 10 minutes, or until the yam forms a compact but slightly sticky paste.

To shape the fufu into balls, fill a mixing bowl with cold water and set it beside a large, flat plate. Sprinkle a little water on the plate and moisten your hands lightly. Lift up about 1/4 cup of yam paste and roll it between your palms and across the plate until it is a smooth, firm ball. Moisten your hands and plate to keep yam balls from sticking.

Arrange the yam fufu balls attractively on a platter and serve at once, or cover them tightly with foil or plastic wrap and set them aside at room temperature for up to 2 hours before serving.

Traditional Ghanaian tutorial for preparing fufu:

 

Well, if you're thinking, what can I make with my fufu, below is a quick Ghanaian Stew Okra Soup. See also, our earlier blog Ghanaian Cuisine: West African Peanut Stew & Gari Foto.

INGREDIENTS: Okra, beef, crayfish, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, pepper, maggi, stock fish, water

 

West African Peanut Soup with Chicken

Photo: Senegalese Peanut Soup with Chicken

The use of peanut, also referred to as groundnut, is widespread in Africa for both its oil and to be eaten for its own sake. Peanut sauces primarily consist of pounded peanuts that have been boiled and blended into a thick soup or stew. Sauces may be flavored with herbs, crushed peppers, onions, seafood or meats, or made with vegetables or mushrooms. In Cameroon, the people have a flair for including their large prawns and shrimps, grilled on wooden skewers, in a peanut sauce.

West African peanut stews re frequently paired with roasted Chicken. Made in Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, the secret of the dish said one West African cook is removing the excess peanut oil that rises to the surface as the peanut stew simmers. Peanut stews are also served with boiled rice or fufu, hard-boiled eggs, fried plantains and diced fruits such as pineapple or papaya cubes.

Chicken-Groundnut Stew (West Africa Recipe) - Serves 6

A 5- to 6-pound chicken, cut and chopped into 12 or more pieces
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 cut peanut oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
5 medium-sized firm ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped and pureed through a food mill
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup dried ground shrimp, if available
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon finely granted, scraped fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon ground hot red pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
6 cups boiling water
1/4 cup coarsely crumbled dried small fish, if available
2 whole fresh hot chilies, each about 3 inches long
1 cup peanut butter and 1 cup cold water beaten to a smooth paste
12 large fresh okra, washed and stemmed, or 12 frozen okra
6 hard-cooked eggs

Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels. Combine the salt and ground ginger, and rub the mixture evenly over each piece of chicken. In a heavy 5- to 6-quart casserole, heat the oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Brown the chicken in the hot oil, 3 or 4 pieces at a time, turning the pieces frequently with tongs and regulating the heat so that they color richly and evenly without burning. As they brown, transfer the pieces to a plate.

Discard all but about 1/4 cup of the oil remaining in the pan and drop in the chopped onions. Stirring frequently and scraping the browned particles from the bottom of the pan, cook the onions for about 5 minutes, until they are soft and translucent. Watch carefully for any sign of burning and reduce the heat if necessary.

Add the pureed tomatoes, tomato paste, ground shrimp (if available), garlic, ginger root, red pepper and white pepper. Raise the heat to high and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.

Stirring constantly, pour in the boiling water in a thin stream and add the dried fish (if available) and the whole chilies (de-seed). Return the chicken and any liquid accumulated around it to the casserole, and turn the pieces about with a spoon until they are evenly coated. Cook uncovered over low heat for 15 minutes.

Stir in the peanut-butter paste and the okra, and continue cooking uncovered for about an hour, or until the chicken is tender and the dark meat shows no resistance when pierced with the point of a small, sharp knife. Add the hard-cooked eggs and simmer for 4 or 5 minutes, or until the eggs are heated through.

Serve the stew at once, directly from the casserole or mounded attractively in a heated bowl or deep platter, accompanied by as many of the garnishes as you like. In West Africa, chicken-peanut stew is often served with fufu or with an accompaniment of various fruits or vegetables.

Photo: West African chicken and peanut stew

Diced tomato salad garnish:
2 large firm ripe tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground hot red pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Drop the tomatoes into a pan of boiling water and let them boil briskly for about 10 seconds. Run cold water over them and, with a small, sharp knife, peel them. Cut out the stems, then slice the tomatoes in half crosswise. Squeeze the halves gently to remove the seeds and juice, and chop the tomatoes as fine as possible.

In a small serving bowl, combine the lemon juice, ground red pepper and salt, and stir until well mixed. Add the tomatoes and toss together gently but thoroughly. Let the salad marinate at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.