African Taste Tour

If you’ve read my last few blog posts, you might remember that in my post about Malaysian recipes I mentioned that I’ve been wanting to try out African cuisines. After spending some time researching African dishes, I realized that there were a bajillion delicious recipes that I wanted to try! Africa is a massive continent made up of 54 countries, 9 territories, and 2 independent states. Unfortunately, I don’t quite have the time to make a bajillion recipes, so I narrowed it down to a more manageable number. Since Africa is made up of 5 geographic regions (ie: North, East, South, West, and Central), I randomly chose a country from each region and then picked a popular dish from each country to try out.

I chose recipes from Egypt (North Africa), Kenya (East Africa), South Africa, Ghana (West Africa), and the Central African Republic. Image Source: mapswire.com

Disclaimer: I’m by no means trying to say that these 5 recipes are a comprehensive representation of all African cuisines! This is really just an introduction. If you would like to explore African cooking more, the internet is a great source of recipes and cooking videos. For example, YouTubers like Cece Fade and Ivonne Ajayi provide excellent resources for people who are interested in making African dishes.

Now, come along with me on this taste tour of Africa…

Koshari - Egypt

This traditional dish is sold by vendors in the streets of Egypt. The recipe, which just so happens to be vegan, is loaded with comforting carbs and topped with fried onions. You can make this a balanced meal by enjoying this dish with a side salad.

Yield: 5 - 6 servings

Ingredients

Koshari Carbs

Rice and lentils serve as the base of this dish

1 & 1/2 cups medium-grain rice

*I used parboiled/converted rice. These are grains of white rice that were partially cooked before their husks were removed. This processing method makes parboiled rice faster to cook than brown rice and more nutritious than white rice.

3 cups water

1 can (540 mL) lentils, rinsed and drained

2 cups dry elbow pasta (I used gluten free brown rice pasta)

1 can (540 mL) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

*heat the chickpeas in a bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds right before you’re ready to eat

Crispy Onion Topping

1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

pinch of salt

1/4 cup gluten free all purpose flour

1/3 cup oil

Tangy tomato sauce for koshari

Tomato Sauce

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 large yellow onion, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 - 2 tablespoons ground coriander, depending on preference

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 can (680 mL) plain tomato sauce

2 - 3 tablespoons white vinegar (I personally like my sauce on the tangy side)

salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1) Cook the rice with water in a pot or rice cooker until all the water has been absorbed and the grains are tender. By the time the rice is cooked, the other components of the dish should be done/close to done. When the rice is finished, mix in the lentils and keep the pot covered to keep warm.

2) While the rice is cooking, make the onion topping. Put the onion slices in a bowl, sprinkle them with salt, and toss them with enough flour to coat them. Heat the oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Shake off the excess flour before adding the onion to the frying pan. Cook until brown and crispy, stirring often. It might take 10 - 15 minutes to get the onion nice and crispy.

3) While you’re patiently waiting for your onions to crisp up, cook your pasta in a pot of boiling water on the stove top. You can toss the noodles with a bit of oil after straining them to prevent them from sticking together.

4) This dish requires some multi-tasking, but you can do it! Start your tomato sauce while you’re waiting for the pasta water to boil. Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it turns translucent. Now mix in the garlic, coriander, and chili powder. Saute for a minute or two and then decrease the heat to low. Add in the tomato sauce, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Simmer until you’re ready to serve the meal.

5) Once all the components of this dish are done, bring them to the dinner table so everyone can assemble their bowl of tastiness. First, put the rice and lentil mixture into your bowl. Then add some pasta. Put some chickpeas on top of that. Then give yourself a generous helping of tomato sauce. Finally, top it all off with the crispy onions.

Green Banana Fries - Kenya

Try using green bananas or plantains to make fries

You might be used to waiting for your bananas to turn yellow before you eat them, but did you know you can eat green bananas too? Before a banana ripens and becomes sweet, it contains a lot of starch. Because of their starchiness, green bananas can be prepared and eaten in the same ways potatoes can. They can be fried, boiled, or baked and served as a side dish. I used my green bananas to make fries to go as a side with my chicken fingers. Fried green bananas also go well with eggs at breakfast or with rice and beans at dinner.

Fried green bananas (upper right-hand side) are starchy, with a slight sweetness, and make an excellent side dish!

Yield: 4 - 5 servings

Ingredients

5 unripe, green bananas

3/4 - 1 cup of oil for frying, or as needed

Instructions

1) Use a knife to help peel the bananas; since they’re not ripe, the peel won’t come off as easily. You can slice the bananas lengthwise into wedges or crosswise into circles, according to your preference.

2) Heat the oil in a deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Gently place the banana slices into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, 5 - 7 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain the excess oil on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve immediately.

Bobotie - South Africa

This meatloaf-like dish is pronounced “ba-bor-tea”. Out of the 5 recipes I tried, this one is my personal favourite. I love a good sweet and savoury flavour combo. And that custard on top added a little something that I didn’t know my meatloaf needed!

Yield: approx. 6 servings

Ingredients

1 cup of 2% milk (or a dairy-free alternative)

4 slices white gluten free bread

*gluten free bead slices tend to be smaller, so I used 4. If you’re a gluten-eater, you can use 2 slices of Texas toast, thick sliced bread

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 & 1/2 lbs ground beef

1/2 cup raisins

1 tablespoon curry powder

2 tablespoons mango chutney

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

6 bay leaves

2 large eggs

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 350 F.

2) Lie the bread slices flat in a dish and pour the milk on top. Set aside to soak.

3) Melt the butter in a large frying pan or a pot on medium heat. Then add the onions and cook until they turn translucent.

4) Add in the garlic and the beef. Stir well to break up the beef and get rid of any clumps. Cook until the beef turns brown.

5) Stir in the raisins, curry powder, chutney, salt, pepper, and 2 of the bay leaves. Reduce the heat to low and allow the flavours to combine for a couple minutes.

6) Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add the bread to the meat mixture. Set the milk aside. Stir the meat mixture well, until you can’t see any lumps of bread.

7) Press the mixture into a baking dish. I used an oval 8 x 11 dish, but a rectangular 9 x 13 dish would work as well.

8) For the custard topping, whisk the leftover milk and eggs together with a pinch of salt. Pour this over the meat. Top it all off with the 4 remaining bay leaves.

9) Bake for 35-40 mins, until the topping is set and browns around the edges.

Chicken Peanut Stew - Ghana

The sweet potato and peanut butter in this dish give it a warm, earthy flavour that’s perfect for a rainy day or cooler weather. This stew is supposed to be spicy, so feel free to add as much cayenne and black pepper as you can handle!

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed

*you can use other chicken parts in this recipe (legs, wings, thighs with the bone in); the bones add great flavour. I’m kinda lazy though. I didn’t want to pull the meat off the bones after my stew was done. Do what you prefer/have time for.

3 tablespoons oil

1 large white onion, sliced

6 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons ginger paste

4 or 5 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 can (440mL) crushed tomatoes

1 litre chicken broth

*In my experience, it can be hard to find gluten free chicken broth. I bought gluten free chicken stock powder and dissolved 3 cubes into a litre of water.

1 & 1/2 - 2 cups peanut butter, depending on taste

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt & black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1) Heat the oil on medium-high heat in a large pot. Saute the onions until they turn translucent.

2) Add in the chicken pieces. Cook until the outsides have browned.

3) Add the garlic and ginger. Allow them to cook with the chicken for a couple minutes.

4) Put the sweet potatoes, broth, crushed tomatoes, peanut butter, coriander, and cayenne pepper into the pot. Stir well and bring to a simmer.

5) Continue to simmer for 70 - 90 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.

6) Give your stew a taste test and adjust the seasonings to your preference. Stir in the parsley and serve.

Kanda - Central African Republic

As a second-generation Italian, I love every variation of the meatball. I like how the ground seeds in this recipe give the meatballs a nutty, slightly sweet flavour. Traditionally kanda is served with rice, but you can enjoy it with pasta as well.

Yield: approx 30 meatballs, depending on size

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

1 & 1/2 cups roasted pumpkin seeds

1 & 1/2 cups roasted soy nuts

*you can use 3 cups roasted pumpkin seeds if you can’t find/don’t want to use roasted soy nuts

1 & 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 yellow onion, minced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup cold water

For the sauce

2 tablespoons oil

1 yellow onion, minced

4 vine tomatoes, diced

optional: 2 chili peppers, minced

1 & 1/2 cups water 

Instructions

1) Grind the pumpkin seeds and soy nuts to a powder in a blender or food processor.

2) Combine the beef, seed powder, onion, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper together in a metal bowl.

2) Add the cold water and knead the mixture very well, for 2 - 3 minutes. Keep in the refrigerator until needed.

3) Heat the oil in a large pot on medium-high heat. Saute the onions until they turn translucent.

4) Add the tomatoes and chili peppers and saute for another 5 minutes.

5) Pour in the water.

6) Form the meatballs, about the size of a golf ball, and gently add them to the sauce.

7) Bring the sauce to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.

8) Reduce the heat to low and let the meatballs cook in the simmering sauce for about 30 minutes.

9) If the sauce is watery at this point, increase the heat to boil off some of the moisture and/or add some tomato paste.

10) Taste the sauce and adjust the flavours if needed. Enjoy!

Did you enjoy this taste journey? Let me know in the comments below!