THE PERFECT GHANAIAN TILAPIA SOUP

Fresh fish soup is one of the popular dishes in Ghana and it’s enjoyed with a steamed fermented Corn dumpling, called Banku or Amorkple.

This is an equally easy to follow recipe, which produces a flavour packed soup. This soup works perfectly in this cold weather and a must try for your Autumn or Winter dishes.

This recipe used Tilapia fish, however you can use any Fish of your choosing that’s firm. Try using Sea bass, Sea Bream, Red snapper etc. I love to hear your feedback when you do try the recipe. There’s a tutorial video on how to make this soup on my YouTube channel. Don’t forget to subscribe and share.

Ingredients 

1 large cleaned & gutted Tilapia cut into chunks 

25g of Tomato paste 

150g of blended fresh Tomatoes 

2 tablespoonfuls of Vegetable oil 

600ml of Fish stock

10 Pettie Belle chillies or Kpakposhito

1 large sliced Onion

6 Basil leaves (Optional)

Salt to taste

Ginger Blend

30g of peeled Ginger

1 large Onion

1 Habanero chilli

1 shrimp stock cube (optional)

1 teaspoonful of Aniseed or Fennel

Method

Blend the Ginger, Onion, Habanero chilli, stock cube and Aniseed to a smooth paste.

Marinade the Tilapia in half of the Ginger blend and set aside.

Place a saucepan on a medium heat and add the oil.

Add the remaining Ginger blend and fry for about 2 minutes on a low heat.

Add the Tomato paste and fry gently for 3 minutes, ensuring you stir consistently 

Tip

Best to blend  fresh Tomatoes, Garlic and Onion into a smooth paste. 

Cook it down till you have a double cream consistency.

Reserve the cooked Tomato in an airtight container and refrigerate or freeze it till a recipe requires it.

Add 150g of your pre cooked Tomato mixture to your spiced Tomato paste mixture.

Cook the mixture for about 2-3 minutes 

Add the marinated Tilapia to the Tomato mixture and mix well.

Cook the mixture for about a minute.

Add your Fish stock or water and mix well.

Cook for about 7-8 minutes 

Add your Pettie Belle Chillies or Kpakposhito and sliced Onions.

Add salt to taste (not more than 1 levelled teaspoon of salt)

Cook for about 3 minutes.

TIP

You can thicken your soup by adding blended cooked Onions.

Alternatively you can add a teaspoon of Gari as a thickener or flour

If you’re using flour, make a roux first (add the flour to the oil, then the Ginger blend and fry for 2 minutes)

This will take the raw flavour of the flour out of your dish)

Just when your soup is almost ready add your Basil leaves ( I used Greek Basil)  which is more scented.

Your soup is ready! Enjoy this with with Amorkple or some crusty bread.

Watch the video on how to make this dish below;

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

Video for the Amorkple recipe

KONTOMIRE (SPINACH) JOLLOF RICE RECIPE

Inspired by the Nigerian native Jollof rice, I decided to create this recipe with my own twist. No sooner had I uploaded the video, did I receive comments like 

‘OMG, why didn’t I ever think of this’?

‘I can’t wait to try this’!

In Ghana, rice and Kontomire stew are cooked separately and enjoyed together; Where as in Nigeria it’s cooked together and named Iwuk Edese (native Jollof rice)dish which is synonymous with the Efik people of the South Eastern part of Nigeria. 

 The inclusion of Koobi gives the dish an umami taste coupled with the smokiness of the fish (if using smoked fish). 

Steaming the salted Fish in  water, Onion and chillies gives the broth and aromatic taste, which works perfectly with this dish.

I grilled my own Makerel for this recipe but you can use smoked Mackerel for this recipe or any smoked fish of your choosing.

Be warned, this is one flavour packed rice that you’ll come back for more. 

Here are the list of ingredients for this recipe ;

INGREDIENTS 

200g of chopped Kontomire leaves or Spinach

20ml of Zomi or Palm oil

1 large Onion

10 Kpakposhito or 1 Habanero chilli

30g of salted Fish or Koobi

1 large smoked Mackerel 

30g of a Ginger, Onion & Aniseed blend

1 tspn of Chilli powder (if not using Habanero chilli)

40g of Tomato purée 

1 tablespoonful of Shrimp powder

300g of Basmati rice

150g of Prawns

150ml of Fish stock or Water

Optional Salt

METHOD

You can make this dish with your preferred smoked  fish.

If you’re using Cocoyam leaves, finely chop it and steam for about 5-7minutes before adding it to the rice.

It’s best to use Zomi (spiced Palm oil) for this recipe, as it enhances the flavour of the dish.

Wash your rice till the water runs clear and soak it in hot water for about 10-15minutes. This quickens the cooking time of the dish

To make this recipe watch the video below:

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

All photos, videos and recipes 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.

TASTIEST LEMON INFUSED GRILLED CHICKEN

After baking and filming my Sugar bread recipe, I had to schedule in my weekly lunches for work. 

I decided to grab a few items from my local grocer. I bought a whole Chicken, a couple of Salmom fillets and Pork ribs.

I started to create an aromatic marinade and decided to include a few Alligator Peppers, to my blend. A quick smell and taste of my marinade made me smile (cause I realised I had created a unique flavour).

I quickly marinated my Chicken and Pork ribs in my newly created flavour. I placed the marinated meat in the fridge to continue cooking the next day. 

I was exhausted and decided to to take rest. A notification alert from my phone (asking for a Gari Fortor recipe) had me smiling the next day.

I knew, I had just about enough Gari for the recipe. The idea that I could serve the Gari fortor alongside the grilled Chicken, had my taste buds tingling. 

This is an easy to follow recipe and a must try.

Tip

Best to marinade your meat or poultry for a minimum of 3hrs or better still overnight in the fridge.

Avoid adding salt when marinating (as the Salt absorbs moisture).

Ingredients 

20g of peeled Ginger

1 large Onion

1 Habanero chilli

1 tablespoonful of Olive oil

1 levelled teaspoon of Aniseed

2 Star anise 

1 levelled teaspoon of Alligator peppers

3 cloves of Garlic 

Juice of 1 Lemon or Lime

1 tablespoonful of Paprika 

Half a teaspoon of freshly milled black peppercorns 

Half a teaspoon of salt 

1 packet of Chicken pieces (Preferably Drumsticks and Thighs)

Method;

Blend the Ginger, Onion, Star Anise, Alligator peppers, Garlic and Habanero chilli into a smooth paste.

Add the spice blend to the Chicken and Paprika. Massage the spice blend  into the Chicken pieces and marinade in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hrs or better still overnight. 

When ready to cook the Chicken, remove the Chicken from the fridge and pre heat your grill to 180*c

Add salt and Olive oil to the marinated Chicken and mix till well combined.

Grill your Chicken for 35 minutes.

Watch more on my YouTube channel 'Ndudu by Fafa' and find out what I served this grilled Chicken with? 

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

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

THE PERFECT GARI FORTOR RECIPE

No sooner had I posted the picture of the Gari Fortor on my social media, did comments of 'when will the recipe be up on YouTube'? I had to quickly edit the video and uploaded it last night. 

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 can be enjoyed both in a savoury or sweet way. It's one popular staple in West Africa due to its quick nature of preparation. 

In Ghana we use Gari in making 'Gari soakings' a boarding school favourite (mixed with groundnut and cold milk), added to soups as a thickener, in making  RED RED  etc, whereas in Togo it's used for GARI PINON , Attiéké in Ivory Coast or Eba in Nigeria. 

Gari fortor is basically Gari mixed with a flavour packed Tomato based sauce and served alongside Waakye or on its own with ones favourite protein. 

Watch how to cook the perfect Waakye on my YouTube channel

HOW TO COOK THE PERFECT WAAKYE

This is a quick recipe to make and the flavour comes from the sauce. It's imperative the sauce is packed with flavours. 

Watch how to make the smoky Salsa sauce , which was used for this recipe;

Ingredients

170g of the smoky Salsa sauce

1 large Onion

4 tablespoonful of cold Water

1 tablespoon of Vegetable oil or flavoured oil from the Smoky Salsa sauce

250g of Gari

Method:

Watch how to make this decadent and equally delicious Gari Fortor below; 

Don't forget to like the video if you enjoyed it, try the recipe and leave a comment with your feedback. I'll be equally grateful if you can share the video amongst your friends and family. 

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

SMOKY FLAT BREAD PIZZA

Interestingly, Pizza has become one of the nations favourite imported food in Ghana. It’s popularity over the years across the country has encouraged a few openings of Pizzerias across the country.

The idea of making my own Pizza with the flavours I love encouraged me to create this recipe. The smokiness was inspired by my Mum’s char grilling of Tomatoes for sauces and a friends advise on how to get the stone baked smoky flavour for my flat bread.

With these knowledge I combined the two processes and ended up with a flavour packed customized Pizza that’s easy to emulate.

The bread mix includes natural Yoghurt, which gives the dough a nice tangy flavour and makes it soft.

I’ve started the ‘Ndudu by Fafa Simple supper series’ to encourage everyone to cook from scratch with the help of my Kitchen hacks.

Tip: When baking bread, please don’t add salt directly to the yeast. It kills the yeast.

One can be creative about the toppings they use for their Pizza. Try using The Ghanaian smoked Tuna, Keta  School boys etc as an alternative. You can omit the Cheese if you don’t have access to it, since the smoky salsa is packed full of flavour.

I’ll encourage you to subscribe to my YouTube channel, ‘Ndudu by Fafa’ to avoid missing any episodes. I’ll appreciate your help in growing the channel by liking the videos, trying the recipes, commenting with your feedback and also sharing the videos with your family and friends.

The first episode of the series was making of the smoky sauce , which I’ll be using to make this Pizza.

INGREDIENTS:

330g of bread flour

175g of lukewarm water

1 levelled teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoonful of natural Yoghurt

10g of dry yeast

1 teaspoonful of Sugar

3 tablespoonful of Extra Virgin Olive oil

TIPS:

• The inclusion of Yoghurt softens the dough and allows the dough to rise quickly
• Always add the salt first to a bowl, then the flour and the rest of the ingredients. Please avoid having the yeast come into direct contact with the salt. Salt kills the yeast, hence your dough won't rise. Mixing everything together to form a dough after is perfect. 

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

AKPLE and FETRI DETCHI RECIPE

Akple and Fetri detchi is the traditional dish of Ewes from Ghana and Togo. Nigerians also do enjoy this dish, which isn't surprising, as Ewes also settled in the Northern parts of Nigeria before migrating to their current settlements. 

Honestly there are various ways of creating this delicacy and it's Gluten free.

You'll find various creative recipes here on my blog and YouTube channel, hence you're spoilt for choice.

Akple is made from milled corn mixed with Cassava dough and Fetri detchi is made from Okro, your preferred meat or vegetables and spices.

It's a perfect match , however you can substitute the Akple for Eba (which is made from Gari) or Rice.

Be adventurous if you've never tried this Ghanaian dish. 

NOTE;

There's a knack to enjoying the soup, which includes one circling their fingers to prevent a messy eat. A perfect excuse to befriend an Okra eating connoisseur. 😜

Watch how to make Okro soup on my YouTube channel 'Ndudu by Fafa'. 

Don't forget to subscribe and share. 

PLANTAIN SORBET RECIPE

Plantains are rich in Potassium which regulates our bodies sodium intake and also helps regulate blood pressure in the body, due to the presence of Magnesium. Plantain contains a high dosage of Vitamin A, which helps boost your immune system, skin and cell growth.

It also aids regular digestive functions due to its high fibre content and it's rich in Vitamin C, which fights against free radicals damage to your body. 

Plantain also contains a few B Vitamins particularly B6 which promotes a healthy brain function. 

Basically, what I'm saying is Plantain is healthy and should be incorporated in our daily diet.

PLANTAIN & PASSION FRUIT SORBET VIDEO

This recipe was created to encourage the various uses of our ingredients, other than their classic uses. I'll explain myself before the creases in your frown deepens. 

Growing up in Ghana, food wastage was definitely a big 'no, no'; hence  an over ripened Plantain was either used to prepare Tatale, Krakro or Kaklo etc.

I've always followed this ethos , however I wanted to make something different, something sweet and equally inspiring.

Puddings aren't a big deal in our diet and if one must, its usually the Ghanaian Pound cake, Rock buns, Peanut or Coconut brittle and fruit salads.

The naturally sweet flavour of the over ripened Plantain lends its sweetness to this dish, hence you can omit adding sugar altogether. The Plantain also gives the Sorbet a creamy texture, whilst the Passion fruit lends its tanginess to the Sorbet. 

This is a healthy snack to enjoy (provided you exclude the Sugar) and it's perfect for both children and adults.

Lets start cooking....

 

To start you'll need, 

Ingredients 

1 large over ripened Plantain

3 large ripened Passion fruit
200ml of water

Juice of half a Lime or Lemon

Optional (1 tablespoon of Sugar)

TO BAKE

Preheat the oven to 200*c

Wrap the unpeeled Plantain in kitchen foil and bake for 15-20 minutes or until you insert a skewer which comes out clean. 

Take all necessary precautions when taking the Plantain out of the oven as it will be hot.

TO STEAM

Cut the unpeeled Plantain into 4 large rings. 

Place the Plantain in a steamer and steam for 15-20 minutes. Once cooked, peel the skin off and transfer the flesh into a bowl. Follow the process below;

TO MICROWAVE
Peel the over ripened Plantain into a bowl with a lid. Add 3 tablespoonful of water and microwave for about 3-4 minutes.

The water will help create a steam which will cook the Plantain. I prefer this process, when I want to make this quickly.


PLANTAIN SORBET VIDEO RECIPE
Watch how make this recipe by clicking the video below;

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


METHOD

Scoop the baked Plantain into a bowl and set aside. to cool down. 

Cut the Passion fruit in two. 

Place a colander over a bowl and scoop the seeds and juice of the Passion fruit into the colander. 

Once done use the back of a spoon to press the juice out. Pour the water over the seeds to extract any juice left in the seeds. 

If you're using Sugar, add it at this point. 

Transfer the juice and baked Plantain into a blender and blend to a silky smooth consistency. 

Add the juice of the Lime and stir till well combined.

Using your Freezer

Transfer the smoothie into a bowl with a lid and freeze for 4 hours. 

Each hour use a fork to stir the mixture to prevent crystals from forming (this will help you gain a smooth Sorbet). The process of stirring every hour is to mimic the churn of an Ice cream maker.

Ice cream Maker

If you're lucky enough to own an Ice cream maker , pour the smoothie into your maker and follow the instructions to churn your Sorbet.

BLENDER

Place the frozen Plantain mixture into a blender. Blend till smooth (this will get rid of any ice crystals).

Serve immediately.

Enjoy your Sorbet with a sprinkle of crunchy nuts for that added texture. 

You saw the recipe here first, remember that and share. 

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

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

KOOSE OR AKARA RECIPE

ABOBOI & TATALE (BAMBARA BEANS RECIPE)

Bambara beans or nuts originate from West Africa and its a popular legume that's equally rich in protein. It's used as flour for cakes, puddings and drinks. This recipe highlights one of the many uses of Bambara nuts, which is boiled and served with Plantain pancake (Tatale).

Bambara nuts or beans are gluten free like most West African dishes and can be purchased online. 

Ingredients

250g of Bambara nuts or beans

1.2 litres of water

1 teaspoon of sugar

3 stalks of Grains of Selim (Hwentia)

2 Green or Red Chillies

1 tablespoon of butter/unrefined Shea butter / Coconut oil 

Salt to taste

Method

Watch how to make this below;

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

TATALE (PLANTAIN PANCAKES).

'Tatale' is a popular pancake made from overripened Plantain and spices  in Ghana. It's usually served with Bambara nuts or Beans and fried in Palm oil or Zomi. In my quest of recreating African recipes I incorporated the flavours of spices used for Kelewele (for a nostalgic kick) in creating a savoury, gluten free and equally healthy breakfast option.

Traditionally, Tatale is mixed with flour to bind the mixture, however I omitted the flour altogether. Add millet flour for a gluten free option. 

Frying the Tatale in Coconut oil introduces a different flavour to this recipe and a perfect choice for breakfast.

An upload earlier on my 

Instagram page received comments of anticipation, complements and a rather memorable one. 😂

'The little girl looked at my screen n asked "who is this Aunty Abigail"? I answered Fafa, she said I want to eat Fafa'.😳😂😂😘

Serves 4

Ingredients 

3 over ripened Plantain

1 egg yolk

1 finely diced green chilli

1 finely diced Banana shallots (your preferred onion)

30g of chopped green parts of Spring onions or Onion flowers.

10g of grated Ginger

10g of Lemon thyme ((Optional)

1 tablespoon of Coconut oil

3 tablespoons of honey.

Kelewele spice mix

1 teaspoon of All spice berries (Pimento all spice) Available in most supermarkets or specialists shops

Half a teaspoon of cloves

1 teaspoon of Aniseed (Sukoni)

Method  

Kelewele spice mix

Using a coffee grinder, add the Pimento All spice, Cloves and Aniseed and grind to a smooth powder. 

Peel the Plantain and place the soft mixture into a bowl 

Add the onions, a teaspoon of the spice mix, egg yolk, Ginger, Chillies , Salt and Thyme (as shown below).

 

Mash and mix everything together as shown below

 

Melt the Coconut oil in a frying pan on a low heat

Scoop a tablespoonfull of the mixture into the frying pan. Using the back of the spoon, spread the mixture as shown above. Fry gently for 3 minutes on each side.

 

Drizzle the pancake with honey and sprinkle with Onion flowers or Spring Onions. 

Enjoy!

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

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Ndudu_by_Fafa for up to date information.

THE GHANAIAN RICE PORRIDGE

 

'Rice Water' is basically Rice cooked in water into a mushy porridge texture and it's a popular breakfast choice in Ghana. It's a relatively easy, gluten free porridge to make. The type of rice used isn't specific to one, but what one has available. I've made a brown Rice porridge version which was divine, that I'll share later in this recipe. 

The rice porridge can be enjoyed in its  basic form or add some milk and an optional fruit to enjoy.

 

I remember the first time I had rice pudding in London and my comments were on the lines of 'basically a portion of posh Rice Water'. 🙈

Rice water can be enjoyed at breakfast and also comes in handy during ones hunger pangs, some evenings. 

My very first experience of cooking independently (I was about 8 years old) , was to make Rice water  for my Mum who was ill. It was a disaster as I used too much water, added uncooked rice and ended up with a mushy uncooked textured rice porridge 🙈

Wow! That's a memory; and to think if I ever gave up cooking due to that mishap, you won't be reading this now. 

Whilst enjoying your bowl of Rice water remember never to give up on your dream because of the hurdles you face.

This recipe serves 2.

 

Ingredients 

50g of white or brown rice

300ml of water

A pinch of salt 

1 tablespoonful of Sugar 

100ml of full fat milk

Method 

Wash your rice and place a saucepan with the water on a medium heat.

Add the washed rice  to the saucepan and cook gently for 20 minutes. 

Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and add the Sugar and Milk.

Cook for another 3 minutes and serve immediately. 

I used to have my Rice Water with Tea or Butter bread and Jam. Try it, you might like it to.

Watch how I made this recipe on my YouTube channel, 'Ndudu by Fafa'. Don't forget to subscribe, like the video and share.

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