Put corn flour into a bowl and add the warm water and stir until you get a smooth batter.
Cover the bowl the bowl and set in a warm place for 4 days.
When you are ready to use the dough start by scraping off and discarding any mold that might have formed. Add more water and let it settle and discard the excess of water.
In large saucepan, add the mixture of corn flour on medium heat.
Cook for 10 minutes and stir to prevent scorching – or until it comes together but not totally cooked.
Remove the pan from the heat, stir and mix thoroughly.
Divide the dough into large portions and put them onto corn husks.
Shape the dough into balls.
Wrap the corn husk around the ball tying it at the top.
Pour hot water into a steamer pot and put a rack on top of it.
Put the wrapped Kom on the rack and bring the water to a boil using high heat.
Reduce to low heat and steam for around 60 minutes.
kom is usually served with Ebesse fionfion, Yebessessi, sardine, and fish.
Other names: Kom, Dokunoo, Dokono, Dokunu, Dokonou, Kenkey
Kenkey, dorkunu, dokonou or kom is a staple dish in Togo, Benin and Ghana similar to sourdough dumpling, usually served with pepper sauce, shitor (Yebesse fionfion) and fried fish or stew. It is usually made from ground corn (maize), like banku, Akoume, sadza and ugali. Making Kenkey involves letting the maize ferment before cooking for at least 5 days. Therefore, preparation takes a few days in order to let the dough ferment. After fermentation, the kenkey is partially cooked, wrapped in corn husks, plastic or foil, and steamed.
My one and only!!! My favorite food: Kom (Togo) Dokonou (Benin). Ghana has a similar dish Kenkey.
Our Kom is softer than Kenkey. Kom is served with a soup or stew or sauce. I prefer to eat my Kom with Yébésséssi, Ebesse fionfion, fried fish and sardine.
6 – 8 cups of corn
Agbelima (optional)
In a large container cover the corn with just enough water to dampen all of it. Set it in a warm place, such as a warmed oven or on top of the refrigerator, for 5 days. Fermentation may take longer than two days, especially in cool climates.
When it is properly fermented, it should have a slightly sour, but not unpleasant aroma, rinse and grind the corn.
Knead the fermented dough with your hands until it is thoroughly mixed and slightly stiffened. Divide the dough into two equal parts.
In a large pot, cook one part of the fermented dough. Cook for about ten minutes, stirring constantly and vigorously. Remove from heat. This half of the dough is called the “aflata”.
Combine the aflata with the remaining uncooked dough. Mix well.
Divide the aflata-dough mixture into serving-sized pieces. Wrap the pieces tightly in corn husks, or foil. At this point you can put it in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to cook
Steam the Kom for 30 to 60 mins, depending on their size and thickness. Serve room-temperature.
Grind 1 onion, 2 tomatoes and green chilies together, grind until smooth, but with a little texture remaining in the sauce. Add Salt to taste
Season and fry your fish with some garlic, ginger, salt and pepper.
Sever with Yébésséssi, fried fish, sardine and Yébéssé fionfion
Peel and cut the yam tuber into 1 inch cylindrical discs. Make several cuts across the discs to get large chips. Wash the yam chips and place in a bowl.
Add a little salt and toss the contents to distribute the salt. Set aside for 20 mins
Fry the yam at 350F
When the oil is heated, add a few yam chips, leaving enough room for flipping the chips.
Stir the chips till they have turned golden.
Remove the chips and place in the paper towels to absorb the oil.
Thoroughly clean the fish and rinse with water and vinegar (or lemon). Salt your fish.
Blend an onion, garlic, ginger, clove, all spice and dry red pepper and then season the fish with. Allow to rest at least 4 hours.
In a saucepan, heat the oil, add a chopped onion, and stir. Then add the concentrated tomato, the crushed tomato and the water and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the fish and spices.
Add the cube, baking soda and cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes. Do not use the spoon after adding the fish, stirring in circular motions with the pan.
Add the West Indian peppers. Cover the pan for about 5 minutes.
Tuo Zaafi
1 pack of ademé leaves (frozen) (Ayoyo leaves)
1 fish “lahoin” (dried and fermented fish)
1/2 onion
1 cube
Salt
Put a little water in the bottom of a pot, and add the potash and as soon as the water begins to boil the leaves of ademe.
Add the fish “lahoin” and 1/2 onion
With the help of a spoon, break the leaves of Ademe.
Make a fountain with flour and yeast. Pour in the center the powdered sugar, the eggs, the nutmeg and the melted butter. Knead by hand to obtain a homogeneous paste.
Form a ball with the dough and Spread each slice finely on a floured work surface and cut.
Heat the oil in a large pan and put the pieces of batter. Drain the ear cups on paper towels, place them on a dish, sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.
Season the chicken with half of the blended spices, add the cube and salt to taste. Add 1/2 sliced onion. Add water and cook until tender. Fry the chicken
Add the tomato puree, the tomato paste, ½ onion puree, the cube, the remaining blended spices, the cayenne, the carrots sliced in half and the cabbage slice, a pinch of baking soda and salt to taste.
Add 7 cups of the water to the tomato mixture add the watched rice and salt to taste. Cook the rice.
When all the water evaporates from the rice add the habanero pepper.
Serve the rice with the side of vegetable and the chicken.
Voila!!!
I noticed that other cultures serve their jollof with a side of salad, which is a good idea.
Sobolo is the Ghanaian name for a tea made out of rosella leaves, also referred to as Bissap, Zobo or Sorrel. Sobolo (Bissap, Zobo, Sorrel or hibiscus tea) is a cool drink found in most West African countries. It is a dark red-purple (ruby red) colored juice. It tastes sour, a bit grapey and a little bit like cranberry juice and can be cooked with ginger, mint leaves, pineapple, vanilla, tea grass or the aroma of choice. Like other teas, it can be consumer hot or cold depending on preference.
The Sobolo (Bissap, Zobo, Sorrel or hibiscus tea) is one of the superfoods that can help us live a healthier life. The health benefits of hibiscus tea include relief from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, digestive, immune system, and inflammatory problems. It helps to cure liver disease and reduces the risk of cancer. It can also speed up the metabolism and help in healthy, gradual weight loss. Hibiscus tea is rich in vitamin C, minerals and various antioxidants, while also helping in the treatment of hypertension and anxiety.
The hibiscus tea can also include relief from cramps and menstrual pain. It helps in restoring hormone balance as well, which can reduce other symptoms of menstruation like mood swings, depression, and overeating.
Ingredients
10 cup water
2 cup dried hibiscus flowers
1 pineapple
1 bunch fresh mint, washed thoroughly
1-2 cups sugar, or to taste
How to Make Hibiscus Tea?
Wash the pineapple, peel, core and slice
Bring 10 cups water, mint, hibiscus flowers and the pineapple skin to a boil in a medium stockpot.
Boil for10 – 15 minutes, or until the color becomes a deep, purplish red.
Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool.
As soon as the mixture is cool enough to handle, remove mint and discard.
Strain the bissap into a large bowl.
Add sugar (to taste).
Stir until sugar dissolves completely.
Bottle the bissap and chill thoroughly.
Serve over ice, garnished with a sprig of fresh mint and/or a squeeze of lime.
Stay tuned for decadent bissap cocktail recipes later this week!
This is one of my mom’s recipes and it was inspired by the Senegalese Thiébou guinar. But this is not Thiébou guinar because it does not have 2 keys ingredients (guedj and yet). The jollof rice is enjoyed in Togo, Benin, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Ghana, and Nigeria… This recipe is perfect for the parties and will allow you to impress your guest easily. The condiments are blended and then fried in peanut oil. Then we wet with water depending on the amount of rice to cook and the desired appearance for rice. The rice is cooked in this sauce, which gives it a specific color according to the quantity and type of tomato used (concentrated and fresh) with the vegetables of your choice. In this recipe, I used broken rice but jasmine or basmati rice is just perfect for this recipe. The rice is then served with vegetables and chicken.
Clean the chicken and marinate with the spices, cube and salted to taste. Cook for 1 hour (30 minutes on each side) – Add enough water to cover the chicken at all time.
Once chicken is cooked, remove broth and set aside
Add 3 tomatoes, crushed onion, tomato paste and a pinch of baking soda and salt to taste. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add vegetables, 4 cup water and bring to a boil. (Adjust the seasoning with cube and salt). Simmer pendant 15 min
Using a perforated spoonful remove the vegetables
Add chilli and rice and stir and cook over medium heat. As soon as there is more water evaporates cover with a plastic bag then the lid of the maronite. And reduce the fire.
The grains of rice are peeled off each other when cooked
Fry the chicken
Serve hot in a large bowl with the vegetables and chicken; and crushed green pepper
