RECIPES: West African cuisine transcends borders
Recently, when I asked chef Pierre Thiam why West African cuisine was suddenly being touted as a new food trend, he laughed and said, “It’s been around for a few thousand years.” Then he thought for a minute and added, “It’s a cuisine that’s pretty much been unknown, but has influenced so many other cultures around the world.”
Born in Dakar, Senegal, Thiam also is an author and activist, known for bringing West African cuisine to the fine dining world with his New York City restaurant Teranga in East Harlem. These days, though, he’s heavily involved in his food company, Yolélé.
Around Atlanta, you’ll find West African cooking at restaurants such as Cafe Songhai in Peachtree Corners, which specializes in dishes from Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast. And Island Grill in Duluth is a Nigerian restaurant that offers up classics such as jollof rice, okra stew, and fufu dumplings.
What’s more, the ongoing Jollof Festival of Atlanta not only offers food trucks, music and art, but it also holds a jollof cooking contest.
From his point of view, Thiam acknowledges that those are encouraging signs, especially compared to his early struggles to have West African cuisine recognized.
“As a young chef in New York City, I realized that West Africa was absent in the so-called food capital of the world,” he said. “You take a country like Nigeria, it has over 200 languages, so you can imagine how rich the culture is. Food is culture, and that’s very much how we approach food in West Africa.”
Asked about the cultural connection between the different regions, and beyond, Thiam pointed to the way recipes traveled and underwent many different interpretations.
“For instance, with okra stew, you see it with lots of seafood, and sometimes meat mixed into the same recipe,” he said. “But (in Senegal), there’s always palm oil. And, by the way, it became known as gumbo in New Orleans. You go to Bahia in Brazil, you see West African cuisine in all its richness.
“But it’s cuisine that transcends the borders, and really tells a different story of West Africa itself. It’s a decolonizing story that doesn’t believe in the borders that were imposed on us. So you see jollof in Nigeria, in Ghana, in Senegal, and in Sierra Leone. And you see a version of jollof in jambalaya. So, again, that tells you how resilient this food is.”
The signature product of Yolélé is fonio, a tiny, nutritious grain with a nutty flavor that is grown by smallholder sub-Saharan farmers and used in myriad ways.
“Fonio is very important because it’s a grain that’s not only a nutritious powerhouse, but it’s gluten-free,” Thiam said. “Also, it’s a grain that grows in poor soil, requires very little water, and because it has deep roots, it restores the soil. For me, it was important to think about the economic impact of bringing opportunities among the poorest farmers and communities in the sub-Saharan region.”
Thiam also is the author of “The Fonio Cookbook” (Lake Isle Press, $24.95), which to my surprise features a recipe for beer made with fonio. And recently, Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewing created Yolélé Fonio White Beer, a craft beer brewed with fonio.
“We understand how culture, and food in particular, is a great bridge,” Thiam said. “If we take the time to look at it as a way to reconnect with who we truly are, I think it’s a powerful tool. Food is an evolution, but it’s always inspired by the past.”
RECIPES
These recipes celebrate the foodways of West Africa, from classic peanut soup, and the cassava dumplings called fufu, to fonio, the ancient gluten-free grain that can be an ingredient in everything from beer to chocolate cake.
Peanut Soup
This West African-inspired recipe may be best remembered as a classic from “The Moosewood Cookbook” of the 1970s. Served with fonio and cassava dumplings, it makes a hearty meal for a fall or winter evening.
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion, roughly diced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely diced
- Large pinch of chile flakes or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Large pinch ground cinnamon
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro and 1 lime halved and quartered
- Fufu, for serving (recipe follows)
- Heat the oil on medium in a large saucepan and fry the onion until soft. Add the garlic, ginger, chile flakes, cumin and cinnamon, then stir until you can smell the aromas.
- Add the sweet potatoes and stir to coat in the spices, taking care not to let the garlic burn. Lower the heat, add the tomatoes and stock, and gently simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft.
- Spoon the peanut butter into a small bowl, stir in enough of the soup broth from the saucepan to make a smooth cream. Add the thinned peanut butter to the soup.
- Using a hand-held blender or potato masher, puree or mash the vegetables in the saucepan to thicken the soup.
- Season with salt, black pepper and lime juice, sprinkle with cilantro and serve with lime wedges and fufu (recipe follows).
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving without fufu: 231 calories (percent of calories from fat, 48), 5 grams protein, 26 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 13 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 519 milligrams sodium.
Fufu
These quintessential African dumplings made from fonio, a grain native to West Africa, are very large, and known by many different names, including fufu in Nigeria and Congo. Look for fonio at Sevananda Natural Foods Market as well as select Whole Foods Markets or purchase it online at Amazon or African foods marketplace yolele.com.
- 1 pound cassava, peeled and cut into chunks
- 4 cups raw fonio, rinsed and drained well
- 2 1/2 quarts water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon red palm oil (optional)
- In a large saucepan, bring 2 1/2 quarts water to a boil. Add the cassava and cook for about 10 minutes, until very soft. Using a slotted spoon, remove cassava chunks and place in a bowl. Do not drain the water from the saucepan. Let cassava cool for a few minutes. Remove and discard the hard, stringy core, and mash the cassava well. Set aside.
- Over high heat, bring the water in the saucepan back to a boil. Stir in the fonio. Cook, stirring so it does not stick, until the fonio becomes a thick paste, about 15 minutes, then stir in the lemon juice.
- Gradually stir in the mashed cassava and red palm oil, if using, to obtain a dough-like consistency. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring vigorously, until it becomes a thick, homogeneous paste, about another 15 minutes. Cover the pot and cook over low heat for 5 minutes more, until it becomes a smoother paste.
- Remove from the heat and let the dough cook in the pan until it is cool enough to handle, but still warm. Using your hands, shape into balls the size of a fist or larger. Serve immediately with peanut soup, stews, or tomato or peanut sauce.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per dumpling: 223 calories (percent of calories from fat, 6), 2 grams protein, 50 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 1 gram total fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 4 milligrams sodium.From “The Fonio Cookbook” by Pierre Thiam (Lake Isle Press, $24.95) and reprinted with permission.
Jollof Rice with Roasted Shrimp and Okra
Jollof rice is a dish cooked throughout West Africa with a variety of proteins, including seafood, lamb and chicken. This version with shrimp and okra has elements of both gumbo and jambalaya.
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 red pepper, seeds removed and roughly chopped
- 1 fresh red Scotch bonnet pepper, seeds removed
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled, divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for greasing baking sheet
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups converted long-grain rice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Large pinch black pepper
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 bouillon cube
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 16 jumbo shrimp, heads and tails on
- 16 okra pods
- To the jar of a blender or bowl of a food processor, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, peppers, 4 cloves garlic, rosemary, thyme, ground coriander and paprika and blend until smooth.
- Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the blended tomato sauce and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the chicken stock, rice, bay leaf, salt and black pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the rice from sticking, until the rice is cooked through.
- Turn off the heat, cover with the lid and let steam for 15 minutes without removing the lid.
- Meanwhile, prepare the roasted shrimp and okra: Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Oil a baking sheet and set aside.
- To the jar of a blender, add the parsley, remaining 2 cloves garlic, bouillon cube and coconut oil. Blend to create a paste.
- Cut a slit in the back shells of the shrimp and devein.
- Cut a lengthwise slit in each okra pod.
- Stuff the openings of the shrimp and okra with the paste.
- Spread shrimp and okra on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes, until opaque.
- To serve, spread the rice in the center of a platter and arrange the shrimp and okra alongside. The dish can also be plated individually with a mound of rice surrounded by shrimp and okra.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 663 calories (percent of calories from fat, 24), 29 grams protein, 97 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 18 grams total fat (8 grams saturated), 147 milligrams cholesterol, 1,532 milligrams sodium.
Fonio Chocolate Cake with Raspberries
With coconut oil and cocoa, this flavorful fonio cake tastes a lot like a Mounds bar. It will serve eight or more, and will keep refrigerated in a sealed container for up to a week.
- 3/4 cup coconut oil, melted, plus more for greasing the pan(s)
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa plus 1 teaspoon for dusting the pan(s)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups cooked fonio, made according to instructions on the package
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Fresh raspberries and powdered sugar, for garnish
- Bundt pan or 2 (8-inch) round or square cake pans
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a Bundt pan or 2 (8-inch) round or square cake pans with oil. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon cocoa inside the greased pan(s) to prevent the cake from sticking. Set aside.
- To the jar of a blender or the bowl of a food processor, add the buttermilk, eggs, egg whites and vanilla. Blend or process until combined. Add the fonio and coconut oil and blend until smooth.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the blender or food processor bowl and mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s). Bake on the center rack for about 45 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake(s) from the oven and cool completely in the pan(s).
- Turn out the cake(s) onto a serving platter. Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with fresh raspberries.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 473 calories (percent of calories from fat, 43), 7 grams protein, 64 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 24 grams total fat (18 grams saturated), 48 milligrams cholesterol, 355 milligrams sodium.Adapted from “The Fonio Cookbook” by Pierre Thiam (Lake Isle Press, $24.95) and reprinted with permission.
